PARIS — In the aftermath of the audacious theft of the crown jewels at the Louvre, Associated Press photographer Thibault Camus captured a striking image. His lens caught a sharply dressed young man strolling past French police officers, their vehicle effectively blocking one of the museum’s gates.

Trusting his instincts, Camus snapped the picture.

At first glance, Camus thought the photo was nothing special, with part of the foreground obscured by someone’s shoulder.

Yet, it served its purpose, depicting French officers securing the world’s most famous museum following the bold daylight heist that took place the previous Sunday.

Adding to the intrigue, Camus noted the passerby’s sophisticated attire—a coat, jacket, tie, and fedora—infusing the scene with a touch of Parisian elegance.

Without hesitation, Camus sent the photograph to AP’s global audience.

From there, fertile imaginations sprung into high gear – whipping up an online buzz.

Posts on social media declared the well-dressed man to be a French detective – if you will, a more dashing version of the famed Inspector Clouseau from “Pink Panther” movies – even though AP’s photo caption had not identified him.

It simply read: “Police officers block an access to the Louvre museum after a robbery Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Paris.”

A post on X that now has 5.6 million views says: “Actual shot (not AI!) of a French detective working the case of the French Crown Jewels that were stolen from the Louvre.”

Another poster – with 1.2 million followers – claimed the man “who looks like he came out of a detective film noir from the 1940s is an actual French police detective who’s investigating the theft.”

Camus says nothing he saw led him to that conclusion – the man was just someone who streamed away from the Louvre as authorities evacuated the area, Camus says.

“He appeared in front of me, I saw him, I took the photo,” Camus says. “He passed by and left.”

If the unidentified man really is one of the more than 100 investigators hunting for the jewel thieves, the authorities are keeping it very hush-hush.

“We’d rather keep the mystery alive ;)” the Paris prosecutor’s office said with a wink in an email response to AP questions.