This Real-Life McDonald's Hamburglar Has NYC Police On The Hunt

Remember the McDonald's of the '90s with "PlayLand" playscapes complete with mini carousel animals with hamburgers as heads and a Big Mac jail? These restaurants are a blast from the past that were eventually replaced by "PlayPlaces" with ball pits and curvy tube slides (via Mental Floss). The playgrounds were places of joy for excited children to romp around in after noshing on their Happy Meals.

The marketing tactic of McDonaldland also included an interesting cast of mascot characters headed, of course, by Ronald McDonald the clown. Ronald McDonald's comrades included Officer Big Mac, the fictional McDonaldland chief of police; Grimace, a large fuzzy purple creature with an affinity for milkshakes, and Mayor McCheese, the big cheese of the town government, who, quite naturally, had a cheeseburger head. 

Of course, we can't leave out the Hamburglar, unmistakable in his black and white striped jumpsuit and black mask, always on the lookout for hamburgers to steal. Maybe he's still on the prowl because while PlayLands, Ronald McDonald, and his gang may have had their heyday in McDonald's past, it seems as if Hamburglar has made a bit of a resurgence in human form.

According to NBC New York, NYC police are searching for a real-life Hamburglar who broke into a Union Square McDonald's. After getting into the basement, the thief found his way to the staff break area, stole workers' wallets, and bought food using one of the ill-gotten credit cards. Security footage shows the suspect leaving the McDonald's wearing a black "I (heart) NY" t-shirt and blue hoodie and carrying a brown paper bag, beverage, and what appears to be a sandwich.

Unfortunately, this suspect isn't the first Hamburglar to rob a McDonald's. In September, a man climbed into a Bronx McDonald's through the drive-thru window and stole $75 from the register (via NY Post). In February, another suspect held the staff at an England McDonald's at gunpoint while ordering he be given money from the safe and then demanded Chicken McNuggets. But it was 7 a.m. Therefore, only the breakfast menu was being served, and McNuggets were not available. So the robber made off with a McMuffin (via Food & Wine).