A man who stood motionless in a shop window in Warsaw holding a bag in a bid to be passed off for a mannequin has been charged with suspected theft and burglary.
Polish police said the 22-year-old suspect, whom they have not named, went unnoticed by staff and shoppers as he stood frozen in the window to blend in with the mannequins.
Suspect was Waiting for the Mall to Close so He Could Steal Jewelry from Various Departments
He was accused of going into various departments and taking jewellery after closing time. "With a bag in his hand he stood still in front of a shop window, pretending to be a display mannequin," police in the central Warsaw district of Śródmieście said in a statement. "When he felt safe, he went hunting and robbed the island of jewellery."
The man was is also accused of other shopping centre incidents. On another day, he went to a shopping centre restaurant after closing time and "ate his fill." He then "slipped under the steel curtain of a branded clothing store to exchange his clothes for new ones", said the spokesman. Afterwards, "he once again stopped at the restaurant to have another meal."
In another incident, he is alleged to have waited until closing time to take money from several cash registers and to have attempted to steal items.
Suspect Faces 10 Years in Prison
Eventually, police said, "his luck finally ran out" when he was spotted and held by security. He has now been charged with burglary and theft, crimes that could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years. He has also been placed in pretrial detention.
