NEW YORK – A man accused of stealing an 86-pound bucket of gold flakes worth nearly $1.6 million off an armored truck in Manhattan has been captured, authorities confirmed.
Julio Nivelo, 53, was caught in Ecuador Thursday, police told WPIX-TV.
Video of the alleged theft, which shows the man grabbing the 86-pound bucket of gold flakes out of the back of an armored truck on September 29, 2016, circulated widely online. That footage led to multiple tips identifying Nivelo as the suspect, an NYPD spokesman said.
The loot he allegedly made off with is valued at $1.6 million.
In the surveillance footage released by the NYPD, a man walks up to the back of the truck, grabs the bucket, and shuffles off with it in broad daylight. At first, he's about to walk past the truck, but then he notices the unattended bucket and makes a turn to grab it.
The video shows two men chatting in front of the truck as the suspect walks away with the gold.
The men don't seem to notice the gold disappearing. In the footage, the thief can be seen struggling under the weight of the loot.
