A thief was captured on security footage crashing a California wedding and stealing over $100,000 in gifts.
Bride Nadeen and groom George Farahat were celebrating their marriage with 300 guests at the Renaissance Banquet in Glendale when the incident occurred.
According to George, it's common in Middle Eastern culture for wedding guests to give cash or checks. The thief, dressed in all black, stole a large gift box filled with these valuable envelopes.
Security footage shows the man loitering outside the venue, pacing, going into the bathroom, and even ordering a drink, which the groom noted was "very brave," adding he thought the thief even "tipped the bartender," per ABC7.
The video then reveals the suspect picking up the box from a table before fleeing the venue and leaving in a black Mercedes-Benz.
The bride said the mood of the party changed instantly after the theft was discovered.
"As soon as we found out what happened, you know, the music shut down, everything immediately stopped," she said. "I ended up sitting on the dance floor sobbing with my friends and cousins around me."
Nadeen said it was "so scary to look back" at the footage and see a stranger at a private event.
"He's watching the dance floor. He's watching our family... It's such a violation," she remarked, adding that on such a happy day, a theft is "the last thing that could've been on anyone's mind," per The Independent.
According to The Sun, the couple, who had paid for extra security, has filed a police report and is offering a $5,000 reward for tips leading to the suspect's arrest. They do not want donations but instead hope to see the thief apprehended.
Despite the setback, the newlyweds are trying to focus on the positives.
"It was a wonderful party until the incident took place," George told KTLA5, adding, "We had a wonderful ceremony at our church, we had a really fun party with our family and friends."
Nadeen added a hopeful note: "Someone said that... when it rains on your wedding day it usually means good things are to come. When someone steals money and your box and everything on your wedding day, we'll follow that same trend. We're just really thankful."