The mystery surrounding the identity of the stylishly dressed "fedora man" who became an internet sensation after being photographed at the scene of the Louvre museum heist has finally been solved. The dapper teenager captured in the viral image has been revealed as Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux, a 15-year-old Sherlock Holmes enthusiast from Rambouillet, a town southwest of Paris.
Three weeks after the shocking theft of French crown jewels from the world-famous Louvre museum, investigators have been working tirelessly to solve the crime and understand how the security breach occurred. While police quickly moved to arrest and charge four individuals in connection with the heist, and the Louvre director publicly acknowledged that the museum's CCTV security system was inadequate, one question continued to captivate the public: who was the mysterious well-dressed young man in the fedora?
The photograph of Pedro, taken by an Associated Press photographer documenting the security cordon around the museum, went viral across social media platforms, sparking widespread speculation about his identity. Some internet users theorized he might be an actual detective investigating the crime, while others wondered if the image was an AI-generated fake. The young man's old-fashioned attire and presence at such a significant crime scene only added to the intrigue.
Pedro told the Associated Press that he had planned to visit the Louvre with his family that Sunday but discovered the museum was unexpectedly closed. "We didn't know there was a heist," he explained. As he approached police officers to inquire about the closure, the AP photographer captured him in the frame while documenting the scene. Pedro remained completely unaware that his image had been taken or that it would soon make him famous around the world.
The teenager only learned about his viral fame four days later when a friend sent him a screenshot asking, "Is that you?" When Pedro confirmed it was indeed him in the photo, his friend revealed that the image had already garnered five million views on TikTok. "I was a bit surprised," Pedro admitted to the AP. His astonishment grew even greater when his mother called to inform him that his photograph had appeared in The New York Times, a newspaper he regularly reads.
"It's not every day you're in the New York Times," Pedro reflected on the surreal experience. "People said, 'You've become a star.' I was astonished that just with one photo you can become viral in a few days." The sudden fame was both exciting and overwhelming for the teenage student, who had simply been trying to enjoy a family outing to one of the world's most prestigious museums.
When asked about his distinctive fashion choices – the vintage waistcoat and fedora that helped make the photo so memorable – Pedro explained that his style is inspired by 20th-century statesmen and fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. "I like to be chic," he told the AP, adding that he dresses this way regularly, even wearing similar attire to school. His passion for classic detective fiction clearly influences not just his reading habits but his entire aesthetic approach.
Despite the wild online speculation about his identity and purpose at the crime scene, Pedro chose to remain silent for several weeks after the photo went viral. "I didn't want to say immediately it was me," he explained his decision to maintain the mystery. "With this photo there is a mystery, so you have to make it last." His strategic silence only added to the public's fascination and demonstrated a mature understanding of how to handle unexpected fame.
The Louvre heist itself shocked the art world and raised serious questions about security at one of the globe's most visited museums. The theft of French crown jewels highlighted significant vulnerabilities in the institution's protection systems, leading to criticism that the museum had prioritized spending on art acquisitions over security improvements in recent years. The four suspects arrested in connection with the crime have been described by prosecutors as "clearly local people" rather than professional organized crime figures, adding another layer of intrigue to the case.
