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Orange County Companies Targeted By Well-Dressed Thief

Posted: 4:49 pm EDT March 20, 2007Updated: 11:45 am EDT March 27, 2007

Eyewitness News discovered that a well-dressed thief isn't just working downtown Orlando. Thursday night, businesses across Orange County said he's blended in and robbed their employees, as well.


SLIDESHOW: Images Of Suspect From Video
SPECIAL SECTION: Caught In The Act

Earlier this year, it appears the thief worked his way into the offices of two military contractors in the Apopka area. Last week, he lifted the wallets of four Channel Nine employees. He's targeting high-profile and high-security offices and he's not working alone.

At Channel Nine, he peeked through an employee door, through the building and saw the back door propped open. So he walked around and went right in.

The man wears the same Ralph Lauren white button-down shirt and a lanyard around his neck at Channel Nine downtown last week, Northrop-Grumman in Orange County last month and at Triquint Semiconductor, Inc. in Apopka two weeks before that.

At Triquint, someone let him in the back cafeteria door and, after more than 15 minutes of wandering the halls and cubicles on both floors, passing by several employees and going into offices, he went into Gwen Hildebran's cubicle moments after she left and stole her wallet and checkbook, all while another employee was just a few feet away at his desk.

"I kind of admire the guy's audacity in a way, because he walks right in like he knows where he's going and he's got business there," said Tim McLean, a facilities security officer at Triquint.

Triquint's outdoor security camera shot the thief's white four-door getaway car. Employees believe it's either a Nissan Altima or Toyota Camry. Hours later, he and his getaway driver drove through an Apopka bank in the same white car and tried to cash one of Hildebran's checks.

"I'd like for him to come back, too, I guess in a way. I have something for him, a little counseling session with a broomstick or something," added McLean.

The teller at the bank knew the driver of the car was not Hildebran and asked her to come inside the bank, but the car took off.

At Northrop-Grumman, which makes military laser systems, they said the thief walked in with a group and walked out with an employee's wallet. He spent $5,000 of her cash and credit before she cut him off.

One victim said she can't believe that, even though he's stolen at least six professional women's credit cards, he's always wearing the same shirt.

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