Despite a viral surveillance video that has been viewed more than six million times, an unusual looking would-be burglar in a Northern California town has still not been caught.
"Oddly enough, we have not solved this," Redding Police Inspector Rusty Bishop told NBC Bay Area on Tuesday. "I'm a little embarrassed."
On March 5, a heavyset man who likely stuffed a pillow into loose-fitting pajama bottoms threw something into the glass windows at Kent's Meats and Groceries. After taking off his mask, and showing his bearded face and long, blond ponytail, he stumbled and tripped before he ran away.
Redding police put out that surveillance video (above) in the hopes of tracking down the suspect.
MORE: Bungled Burglary Surveillance Video Turns into Pastrami Ad
That surveillance video of the bungled burglary has been watched at least six million times on YouTube, but despite its heavy public outreach, Bishop said the man is still at large in this city of 100,000 people.
"People keep asking, 'Have you caught the guy?' " Bishop said. "But none of our tips have panned out."
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Not all is lost, though. The owners Kent's Meats and Groceries took the surveillance video and turned it into a commercial, which started airing about two weeks ago.
The ad touts a peppy musical beat and boasts that Kent's Meats and Groceries has "award-winning NY-style pastrami" that is "so good, some people will do just about anything to get more."
Store owners - Kent and Kathy Pfrimmer - obviously have a sense of humor. They said they wanted to "turn lemons into lemonade," and that while the "strangely dressed burglar" broke their window, he "also made one of the funniest surveillance clips of all time."
To see the commercial, click here:
