Swedish police were left dumbfounded over the weekend when they learnt that an apparent cross-dresser was able to rob a Stockholm jewellery store while an accomplice dressed as Santa distracted other shoppers.
The main suspect robbed the jewellery shop in Farsta, southern Stockholm, on Friday night, although details of the incident were not disclosed until Sunday as police continued their search for the perpetrators.
The female jeweller was handcuffed and told to keep quiet by a man with long hair, who threatened to shoot her. Describing the suspect, she said his eyebrows were blackened and he had very long eyebrows, noting that his make-up was ‘well done’. She added that she thinks it must have been done by a woman.
When confirming some jewellery was stolen, police admitted that they were yet to determine whether the thief was male, female, or even a transvestite.
The robbery, which lasted for around six minutes, was apparently facilitated by an accomplice dressed as Santa Claus, who stood outside the shop performing what the jeweller referred to as “cheap tricks” to keep other shoppers distracted. Witnesses said his face was covered in brown make-up.
One shopper, 20-year-old Emilia Haglund, said she was one of the people distracted by the man. She explained that he distracted everyone so they’d look in a different direction. She added that he tried to talk to shoppers and was behaving in a strange manner.