**Paris Jewel Heist Sparks Online Buzz Over Mysterious Well-Dressed Man**
PARIS — Shortly after the stunning heist of the crown jewels at the Louvre, Paris-based Associated Press photographer Thibault Camus captured a striking image that quickly went viral. The photo shows a dapperly dressed young man walking past uniformed French police officers, their car blocking one of the museum’s gates.
Camus took the shot instinctively. “It wasn’t a particularly great photo,” he admits, “with someone’s shoulder obscuring part of the foreground.” Still, the image effectively showed French police sealing off the world’s most-visited museum following the brazen daylight robbery on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
What made the photo especially intriguing, Camus thought, was the man’s unusual attire: a coat, jacket, tie, and a fedora—adding a touch of Parisian couture to the tense scene.
**From Photo to Phenomenon**
The photograph quickly spread across social media, igniting imaginations and sparking a wave of speculation. Posts hailed the well-dressed man as a French detective—a more dashing, modern-day version of the famed Inspector Clouseau from the “Pink Panther” movies—even though the AP caption made no such identification. The official caption read simply: “Police officers block an access to the Louvre museum after a robbery Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Paris.”
On X (formerly Twitter), one post boasting 5.6 million views exclaimed:
*“Actual shot (not AI!) of a French detective working the case of the French Crown Jewels that were stolen from the Louvre.”*
Another popular 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.”*
**What’s the Real Story?**
Thibault Camus says he saw nothing to suggest the man was anything more than a passerby. “He appeared in front of me, I saw him, I took the photo,” Camus explains. “He passed by and left.” According to the photographer, the man was simply one of the many people streaming away from the Louvre as authorities evacuated the area.
If the unidentified man truly is one of the more than 100 investigators hunting for the jewel thieves, the authorities are keeping that information under tight wraps.
“We’d rather keep the mystery alive ;)” the Paris prosecutor’s office responded with a wink in an email to the AP.
**More on the Louvre Heist**
Curious about the unusual details surrounding this audacious crime? Read how a German freight lift unexpectedly became a social media star in the Louvre heist coverage [here].
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*Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story as the investigation continues.*
https://abc7chicago.com/post/louvre-detective-mystery-dapper-ap-photo-heist-creates-social-media-buzz/18069823/