Page 12 - IAV Digital Magazine #626

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Scuba-clad Man Robs Disney Springs Restaurant, Swims Away
By Nick Papantonis, WFTV.com
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Investigators are searching for a man who robbed a popular Disney Springs restaurant after it closed to guests.
Sources familiar with the investigation said they believe the man swam up to the Paddlefish restaurant shortly after midnight Monday, stole thou- sands of dollars, then swam away.
A
report by Orange County Deputies indi- cated the man found a place to store his wet suit and scuba gear before walking into the manager’s office, where cash from the night was being counted and deposited into a safe.
The report shows the man forced two employees to go to the corner of the room and told them to close their eyes. The report is heavily redacted, but sources familiar with the investigation said he tied the
employ- ees up.
The man stole between $10,000 and $20,000, per the pending charge. The employees said he left within two min- utes, and they called 911 after freeing themselves.
Neither of the employ- ees were hurt and the man did not brandish any weapons, the report said.
After leaving the repli- ca steamboat, investi- gators believe the man donned his
scuba
gear and jumped back into the pond. A search for the man immediately after the robbery was reported yielded no results.
A picture released by the agency showed the man appearing to spray paint a security camera. The employ- ees described the man wearing tight clothing and a blue beanie. They said he was slim and approxi- mately 5 feet, 10 inch- es tall.
The owners of Paddlefish referred all
ques-
tions to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office said the investi- gation was ongoing.
The restaurant opened as normal to guests at noon on Monday. There was no obvious signs of an increase in securi- ty around the Paddlefish, though the tourist attraction is normally under extremely tight securi- ty by Disney staff and sheriff’s deputies, much of which is not visible to the public.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvJNp7LpUfo
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine