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An award-winning Southern California ice cream parlor is asking for the public’s help after a barefoot thief was caught on surveillance video stealing a life-size cardboard cutout of Taylor Swift during a bizarre Monday evening heist.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share that our Taylor Swift standee has been stolen from our Camarillo store,” Mister Softee wrote in a Facebook post. “If you recognize this guy, let us know.”
Surveillance video the shop shared on social media shows the suspect, who was barefoot and wearing a white T-shirt, black joggers and a black baseball cap, walking into the store at approximately 8:21 p.m.
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He briefly looks around before picking up the life-size Taylor Swift cut-out near the entrance and carrying it out the front door without appearing to interact with anyone.
Another angle from the shop’s surveillance cameras obtained by the New York Post appears to show the suspect visiting the store earlier with a group of friends around 8 p.m. Monday, where they appeared to enjoy ice cream before leaving. The video appears to show the man returning alone about 20 minutes later.
The cardboard cutout was part of a limited-time promotion for the shop’s new “Swiftie Swirl,” which it introduced after reports that a Mister Softee truck made an appearance at the wedding festivities for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
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“When TMZ dropped the news that Mister Softee reportedly made its way into the wedding festivities, we couldn’t resist celebrating with a special of our own,” the business wrote in a social media post announcing the dessert.
The “Swiftie Swirl” features vanilla soft serve blended with cookie dough and chocolate dip to create chocolate chips, topped with mini M&M’s, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. The Camarillo location also invited customers to “grab a selfie with our Taylor standee” as part of the promotion.
After the theft, the Ventura County ice cream parlor, which won last year’s VC Reporter Best of Ventura County award for Best Frozen Dessert, assured customers that the frozen treat would remain available despite the stolen display.
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“The Swiftie Swirl is still available in Ventura and Camarillo this week,” the shop wrote. “Just no more photo ops in Cam.”
The surveillance video quickly drew attention online, with social media users dubbing the suspect the “barefoot bandit” and joking that the lack of shoes might help narrow the search.
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“He came in barefoot, so he lives close,” one commenter wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mister Softee for additional information.
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