Paris driver says Louvre heist suspect is Good Samaritan who helped him on roadway
LONDON -- One of the suspects in the $102 million jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris may have a surprising side to him, according to a driver who says he was helped by the man weeks before the robbery.
In an interview with ABC News, Ahmed Alla, 24, said he was stranded on the Paris ring road in September, out of gas and facing fines, when a motorcyclist stopped to assist him.
"I was calling the police to send a tow truck. Everyone was honking at me, but he was the only one who stopped to help," Alla said.
The man, who Alla described as calm and reassuring, reportedly offered to help move his car out of danger.
"He said, 'I can push your car out of the way, then we'll get it off the ring road, so you don't get a €135 ($157) fine,'" Alla recalled. "I thought it was dangerous, but he reassured me, saying he'd ask other drivers to stop while we moved my car."
Alla said the motorcyclist helped push his vehicle about 200 to 300 meters before safely guiding him off the highway.
In a video recorded by Alla and later posted on X, the man is seen waving as he drives off, telling him: "Call your insurance company and they'll send a tow truck. Good luck!"
"He was very kind throughout, right up to the end, giving me advice. Very, very nice," Alla said.
That video caught attention online. A user recognized the man and connected Alla with him on Snapchat, where the two briefly exchanged messages, the driver said. Alla said he thanked the good Samaritan for his help.
ABC News can't independently confirm the man in the video is an arrested suspect but investigators of the heist have confirmed to ABC News that the Snapchat belongs to one of the suspects. They also said they are aware of the video, although it is not part of their investigation.
Weeks later, Alla said he was stunned to see that same Snapchat handle linked by French media to one of the men accused in the brazen theft of high-value jewelry from the Louvre on Oct. 19.
"When we texted, I realized he was incredibly kind-hearted," Alla said. "That's why I was surprised to learn he was involved in the robbery."
Authorities have not confirmed the identity of the man in Alla’s video as one of the suspects currently in custody.
The brazen daytime robbery shook Paris on October 19, when a group of thieves broke into the Louvre Museum’s Apollon Gallery and made off with eight culturally priceless pieces of the French crown jewels.
The thieves arrived shortly after the museum opened and used a mechanical lift to access a first-floor window overlooking the Seine. Two of them forced entry by cutting through the window with power tools, threatened guards to force them out, and then used the tools to smash the glass of two display cases in the gallery, according to French investigators.
The thieves remained inside the museum for approximately four minutes before fleeing on scooters waiting for them outside, investigators said. One piece of stolen jewelry, a tiara that belonged to Empress Eugenie, was found dropped in the escape route.
The audacious crime has prompted serious questions about the degree of security at one of the world's most famous museums. Seven people have so far been arrested in connection with the theft.
