As investigators scrambled to find the thieves behind the Louvre jewel heist last month, the internet was busy getting to the bottom of another mystery.
An Associated Press photo of a young man dressed in a dapper ensemble that looked straight out of the 1940s captivated the attention of millions.
With a brown fedora tipped over one eye and a Yves Saint Laurent waistcoat, the enigmatic figure strutted past three police officers leaning against a silver car at the crime scene.
As social media users’ imaginations ran wild about his identity, Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux sat back and watched the show.
In the chaos that followed the daylight robbery of $102 million worth of French crown jewels, rumors swirled about the sharply dressed stranger in the ‘Fedora Man’ flick – many thought he was an old-timey detective. Others claimed he was AI.
But they were all way off – the star of the viral photo was no case insider, but a 15-year-old boy.
Delvaux prides himself on his classic style and his appreciation of art, and just happened to find himself caught up in the crime’s aftermath.
And when the Rambouillet resident realized he was at the center of the Louvre heist narrative, he decided to have some fun.
With a brown fedora tipped over one eye and a Yves Saint Laurent waistcoat, Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux strutted past three police officers leaning against a silver car
The photo gained the attention of millions online – with many believing he was a detective
The robbers entered the museum using a furniture elevator on the morning of October 19. Pictured: Police probing the scene after the heist
Instead of immediately coming forward with his identity, he stayed silent.
‘I didn’t want to say immediately it was me,’ Delvaux said. ‘With this photo there is a mystery, so you have to make it last.’
An avid fan of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, the teen reflected on the frenzy surrounding his 20th-century-inspired look.
‘In the photo, I’m dressed more in the 1940s, and we are in 2025. There is a contrast,’ he asserted.
Despite the internet buzz, his outfit was not a costume or a look for a special occasion. Delvaux has adopted a sophisticated fashion sense in his day-to-day life.
‘I like to be chic,’ he said. ‘I go to school like this.’
He also understood why people projected a whole sleuth character onto him – improbable heist, improbable detective.
‘When something unusual happens, you don’t imagine a normal detective,’ he said. ‘You imagine someone different.’
Delvaux said he understood why internet users assumed he was a detective
Investigators were seen examining the crime scene once the thieves had fled
One of the valuable items taken was the Empress Eugenie’s tiara. About $102 million worth of jewels were stolen
Even his friends and family were taken aback by the picture, unable to believe their eyes when they saw his face plastered across international media outlets and social media.
‘People said, “You’ve become a star,”‘ he recalled. ‘I was astonished that just with one photo you can become viral in a few days.’
Delvaux and his family were simply visiting the museum for the day when he was hurled into the spotlight.
‘We wanted to go to the Louvre, but it was closed,’ he explained. ‘We didn’t know there was a heist.’
They asked officers why the gates were shut. Seconds later, AP photographer Thibault Camus, documenting the security cordon, caught Delvaux midstride.
‘When the picture was taken, I didn’t know,’ Pedro said. ‘I was just passing through.’
Four days later, a friend messaged him, referring to the photo viewed by millions, ‘Is this you?’
I was a bit surprised,’ he said about how he felt about the news.
Delvaux said he is always wearing sophisticated attire, mainly inspired by the 201th century
Soon after, his mother called to tell him that he had been featured in The New York Times.
He continued: ‘People had to try to find who I am. Then journalists came, and I told them my age. They were extremely surprised.’
On October 19, at around 9:30 am local time, thieves entered the Apollo Gallery and stole nine pieces of one-of-a-kind jewelry.
The gang of several ‘highly organized criminals’ arrived outside the world’s most visited museum while thousands of tourists enjoyed a day out at the attraction.
Masked and wielding angle grinders, the group parked up their scooters outside the gallery, home to jewels belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte, his wife Josephine and a string of subsequent Emperors and Empresses.
In a whirlwind seven-minute heist, they pried open two display cases and crammed away nine pieces of the 23-item Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte collection.
Four suspects have been charged in connection with the incident.
Aside from a piece that the culprits dropped as they fled the scene, the bulk of the jewelry remains missing.
