Police in California in the United States are searching for a wedding crasher who allegedly stole about $60,000 in cash and checks meant for a newlywed couple during their reception.
The incident took place shortly after midnight on Sunday, Aug. 31, at the Renaissance Banquet Hall in Glendale, just north of Los Angeles, according to the Glendale Police Department.
Authorities said the man slipped into the venue, took a box filled with financial gifts, and quickly fled.
“It was a wonderful party until the incident took place,” groom George Farahat told KTLA. “As is tradition in our culture, most people give cash or checks as gifts for the newlyweds, so there was (a) box containing all the envelopes, the cards, the money from family and friends that were invited.”
Investigators learned that the suspect had been inside the banquet hall for about an hour before the theft.
Surveillance footage showed him dressed in black, lingering in the lobby, appearing to make calls on his cellphone and even ordering drinks at the bar.
He was later seen entering the ballroom, where he distracted himself by folding and unfolding a serving tray before snatching the gift box from the front of the room and making a run for the exit.
Security cameras outside the venue captured him climbing into the passenger seat of a black Mercedes-Benz SUV before leaving the scene.
Police described the suspect as a bald man around 40 years old, of white or Middle Eastern descent, with a medium build.
