Police have identified the man they believe made off with a pot of gold from an armored truck parked on a busy New York City street in broad daylight, and are now appealing to the public to help track down the thief.
Surveillance footage caught Julio Nivelo, 53, allegedly grabbing an 86-pound bucket of gold flakes valued at $1.6 million from the back of an armored truck parked on West 48th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in midtown Manhattan about 4:30 p.m. on September 29, police said.
Nivelo appears to almost walk past the truck, but after the 5-gallon aluminum pail catches his eye, he turns and grabs it, video of the alleged theft shows.
The video shows two men talking to each other in front of the truck as the suspect makes off with the fortune, appearing to struggle with the weight of the goods as he shuffles off.
Numerous tips poured in to police from the tristate area, leading authorities to identify the suspect as Nivelo, a convicted felon who authorities said has been arrested seven times and deported four times to his native Ecuador.
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He was thought to have fled to Florida before moving on to Los Angeles, California, where officials believe he is now.
Nivelo is 5-foot-5 and weighs about 155 pounds. He also goes by the name David Vargas, cops said.
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