The Mysterious 'Fedora Man' of the Louvre Heist
While investigators desperately searched for the criminals behind last month's spectacular Louvre jewel heist, the internet became obsessed with solving a very different mystery. An Associated Press photograph featuring a sharply dressed young man, looking as if he'd stepped straight out of the 1940s, captured the imagination of millions worldwide.
From Museum Visitor to Internet Sensation
The enigmatic figure, now identified as 15-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux, was captured striding purposefully past three police officers leaning against a silver car at the crime scene. With a brown fedora tipped over one eye and a Yves Saint Laurent waistcoat, his appearance was so striking that social media users immediately began speculating about his identity and role in the investigation.
"I didn't want to say immediately it was me," Delvaux later revealed. "With this photo there is a mystery, so you have to make it last." The teenager, who describes himself as an avid fan of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, watched with amusement as theories about the 'Fedora Man' proliferated online.
The Reality Behind the Viral Image
Contrary to popular belief, Delvaux's sophisticated attire wasn't a costume for a special occasion. The Rambouillet resident has adopted this classic style as part of his everyday life. "I like to be chic," he stated matter-of-factly. "I go to school like this."
He understood why internet users projected a detective persona onto him. "When something unusual happens, you don't imagine a normal detective," he reflected. "You imagine someone different." The contrast between his 1940s-inspired ensemble and the modern crime scene created the perfect conditions for a viral phenomenon.
The Multi-Million Pound Heist
The dramatic events unfolded on October 19 at approximately 9:30 am local time, when a gang of highly organised criminals entered the world's most visited museum. Masked and wielding angle grinders, they targeted the Apollo Gallery, home to jewels belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.
In a whirlwind seven-minute operation, the thieves pried open two display cases and stole nine pieces of unique jewellery from the 23-item Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte collection. The stolen items, including the Empress Eugenie's tiara, were valued at approximately $102 million.
Four suspects have since been charged in connection with the incident, though aside from one piece dropped during their escape, the bulk of the priceless collection remains missing.
An Unexpected Brush with Fame
Delvaux and his family had simply been visiting the museum for the day, completely unaware of the historic robbery that had taken place. "We wanted to go to the Louvre, but it was closed," he explained. "We didn't know there was a heist."
As they inquired with officers about the closed gates, AP photographer Thibault Camus, who was documenting the security cordon, captured Delvaux mid-stride. "When the picture was taken, I didn't know," Pedro said. "I was just passing through."
Four days later, the mystery began to unravel when a friend messaged him asking about the viral photograph. "Is this you?" the message read. Soon after, his mother called to inform him he'd been featured in The New York Times.
"People had to try to find who I am," he said about the media frenzy that followed. "Then journalists came, and I told them my age. They were extremely surprised." The teenager admitted being astonished that "just with one photo you can become viral in a few days."
