Riverside County

Guy Who Thinks He's in ‘Mission Impossible' Slithers Through Salon to Steal $8K

The salon owner calls him the "snake burglar"

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Surveillance video in an Inland Empire salon captured an unusual sight: a burglar slithering around on his belly through the entire business in order to pocket thousands in cash.

The salon owner calls him the "snake burglar."

The owner Lori Hajj was shocked that the man got in through a rooftop fire escape Friday at 5 a.m. at the Rustic Roots salon on Indiana Avenue in Riverside.

"It just gave me chills up my spine," she said.

The owner said the burglar broke in and stole hundreds of dollars worth of products, petty cash from the register and a safe with more than $8,000 inside.

A security guard who was installing a new alarm system at the salon following the break-in says the burglar was definitely trying to avoid the motion sensor.

And while the burglar left a big mess, he never tripped the alarm.

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"You don't think it's going to happen to you, especially because of how secure the salon is," Hajj said.

Investigators said it might not be an isolated incident.

Staff at La Sierra Veterinary Clinic in Riverside believe the same man may have attempted to burgle the business, but he didn't get away with anything.

Jessica Bryant said he was there for about 10 minutes before setting off sensors, so he fled on a skateboard.

A week prior, the same crawling man may have been spotted at Enzo's Pizza as well.

A security video shows a man crawling on his belly.

The pizza place's owner believes the same man has been targeting businesses off of Indiana Avenue and Tyler Street.

Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to contact Riverside police.

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