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‘Snake burglar’ strikes: Man slithers through California salon, steals $8K

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A man crawled on his stomach like a snake through a California business and stole $8,000 from a safe and products from the store, authorities said.

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Surveillance video showed the man slithering on his belly at the Rustic Roots salon in Riverside at around 5 a.m. PST on Friday, KNBC reported. The man apparently broke into the business through a rooftop fire escape, according to the television station.

“It just gave me chills up my spine,” Rustic Roots owner Lori Hajj told KNBC, referring to the thief as the “snake burglar.”

Hajj said the man broke into the safe, stole petty cash from the cash register and took salon products from the store.

A security guard who was installing a new alarm system after the robbery said the burglar was attempting to avoid detection by motion detectors, according to The Associated Press. The man made a mess in the store but never tripped the motion sensor, according to KNBC.

“You don’t think it’s going to happen to you, especially because of how secure the salon is,” Hajj told the television station.

Investigators believe the same man may have attempted to rob several other businesses in the area.

Staff members at La Sierra Veterinary and Enzo’s Pizza believe they also saw a man crawling on the floor of their businesses, according to KNBC.