Black Bank Robber Was Wearing ‘Ridiculously Real’ White Man’s Mask Disguise

National Post
January 23, 2015

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The mask worn by Solomon Zemichael Teklie, who pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery on Monday.

An Edmonton man admitted Monday that he committed a carjacking and two quick bank robberies in a disguise so realistic that witnesses described him as an unmasked white man, even though he was black.

In January 2014, Solomon Zemichael Teklie carjacked a woman at Northgate Mall, robbed a bank at Londonderry Mall, robbed a second bank at 97th Street, then was pulled over and arrested by police.

The three robberies and arrest all took place within 37 minutes.

Through it all, the 39-year-old Teklie wore a disguise that fooled everyone.

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Solomon Zemichael Teklie had carjacked a woman and robbed two banks before he was finally caught.

“I don’t know where this mask was made, I don’t know where it came from, but it’s uncanny how much it looks like a real person,” said Crown prosecutor Carrie-Ann Downey. “It was so realistic that each witness on this file thought that Mr. Teklie was white. He is not white.”

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The mask was so realistic that every one of the witnesses said it was a White man that committed the crimes.

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