Ticker

Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: The Tickler

Media Credit: Korcan Yordacan A security camera image of the elusive bandit repelling from the library's skylight.

The Newman Library was robbed of some of its most precious and prized books over the weekend by the so-called "Book Bandit."

The stealthy, ninja-like crook pilfers rare books housed in college campus libraries and has struck 15 colleges across the nation so far.

"He stole our first edition Gulliver's Travels from 1726," stated Baruch College Chief Archivist and Historian George Powell.

Another stolen treasure is the original Necronomicon, only one of five in the entire world. "Many people believed one was housed in the British Museum. Not so. It was here at Baruch," said Powell.

Unbeknownst to students and faculty, the Newman Library has an underground climate-controlled bunker used to preserve the college's rare book collection.

"This guy's a pro," said Special Agent Rex Banner, who has been trailing the burglar for three years. "He obtains the blueprints of the targeted location, steals the rare books and leaves nothing but a calling card."

The criminal goes by the name "Malloy," according to the calling cards and is on the FBI's Most Wanted List. They believe that the suspect works alone.

The FBI believes they will catch Malloy soon. "He's getting cocky," Banner stated. "His heists are occurring more frequently and at higher security facilities." Case-in-point, Banner says the Baruch bunker was looted in broad daylight.

Powell fears the bandit may return. "He may go after another priceless treasure: our second century edition of the Kama Sutra."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools