Background: Paddlefish restaurant at Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida (WFTV/YouTube). Inset: The suspect in scuba gear believed to have robbed the establishment (Orange County Sheriff’s Office).
Authorities in Florida are on the lookout for a scuba diver suspected of executing a bold theft at a Disney Springs restaurant in Orlando, subsequently escaping by swimming away.
The dramatic event took place at 12:20 a.m. Monday at the Paddlefish restaurant in Disney Springs. A largely redacted incident report accessed by Law&Crime states that after closing the restaurant for the night, a few employees were finishing up in the manager’s office. A man clad in a blue beanie, a black mask, and a wetsuit without shoes allegedly forced his way in, cornered the employees, and ordered them to look away as he targeted the safe.
According to WFTV, the local ABC affiliate, the intruder restrained some staff and took a substantial sum of money from the safe, totaling between $10,000 and $20,000, as per the incident documentation.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office shared an image depicting the perpetrator using black spray paint to obscure a security camera. Fortunately, no employees sustained injuries during the encounter, and as the restaurant had closed, no guests were present during the robbery.
Post-theft, the suspect reportedly donned his scuba gear, re-entered the water, and swam to an undisclosed location. The entire operation was carried out in just two minutes, according to the police report.
Paddlefish is on a replica paddleboat at Disney Springs, which features shopping and restaurants.
Cops have yet to make an arrest.
