Thursday, March 28, 2024

NYC’s Infamous Gold Snatcher Finally Nabbed in South America: Cops

Last fall, a man was caught on video casually walking off with $1.6 million in gold left in an unattended armored truck. Because of his lackadaisical brazenness, the man became something of an online folk hero. “Only in New York,” seemed to be the general reaction, rather than one of outrage or concern.

Alas, the Washington Post reports that on Tuesday, four months after his alleged crime, the alleged thief—Julio Nivelo, 53—was arrested in his home country of Ecuador by local police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

The bold theft took place on September 29 on 48th Street in Manhattan near Rockefeller Center. As the guards of the truck were standing at its front, apparently distracted and talking with each other, Nivelo allegedly walked up, grabbed a bucket containing 86-pounds of melted down gold bars, and strolled away like he didn’t have a care in the world. After weeks without a lead, the NYPD released surveillance of the incident in December, quickly turning Nivelo into a sort of internet celebrity.

The guards were eventually cleared of helping Nivelo but were reportedly fired for presumed negligence. It’s unclear how the 53-year-old was tracked to Ecuador but the operation was reportedly named Operation Lucky Charms.

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