It wasn’t the Hamburglar this time.
On July 6, several unidentified suspects entered a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania and brazenly walked out with the fast-food eatery’s iconic Ronald McDonald bench statue.
“RONALD MCDONALD IS MISSING!” the Nesquehoning Police Department announced in a Facebook post featuring the suspects caught on camera apparently kidnapping the beloved clown. “We’re not clowning around. This was a full-blown McNapping.”
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“I’m missing my Ronald, so I’m not too happy,” Eve Snyder, the general manager of the Nesquehoning McDonald’s, said in an exclusive interview with FOX Business. “As long as the store’s been open, he’s been here — 25 years. It’s special to the owner. This was the first store he purchased, so this is kind of the baby of the family.”
In images taken from surveillance footage, four individuals are seen inside the restaurant: one man appearing to hoist the Ronald statue upright while a woman in a “Flash” T-shirt walks nearby. Two others, including one wearing a graphic T-shirt and another in a black dress with visible tattoos, are also captured on camera.
“Ronald was last seen smiling, as usual, unaware of the betrayal,” police wrote in their Facebook post, calling on the public to help ID the suspects.
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Police also added a jab at the alleged clowns: “We get it — times are tough, and therapy is expensive. But kidnapping a plastic icon of joy? That’s a McFelony.”
“I don’t think that it was their intention when they came here,” Snyder told FOX Business. “They were talking about how much they could sell it for on Facebook Marketplace. And when they realized it wasn’t attached to the wall, they just grabbed him and ran.”
No one tried to intervene, Snyder said, because “it was really busy at the time, and when you come out of that little play area, the back door is like feet away. They were out of here in a matter of like 10 seconds.”
The community reaction has been just as animated.
“I guess they needed another clown for their circus,” one Facebook user quipped.
Another commentator rallied locals, “There should be a reward to find these people and Ronald. My fellow townspeople… we ride at dawn.”
Others took a more defiant stance, with one sharing, “I ain’t McSnitchin on anyone,” while another simply asked, “Which one is the clown?”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCD | MCDONALD’S CORP. | 299.87 | +1.41 | +0.47% |
A separate camera outside the building caught a black Nissan SUV, believed to be the getaway car. The license plate was not legible in the image shared by the police.
Authorities confirmed in a follow-up post Friday that a Ronald McDonald statue spotted on eBay is not the missing figure. The investigation is ongoing.
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“We would just like to have him returned undamaged, if possible,” Snyder added. “If anybody sees or recognizes these people, get in touch with us or the police. We appreciate the help.”
Tips can be directed to the Nesquehoning PD at 570-669-9111.
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