Scuba-gear thief robs Paddlefish at Disney Springs, deputies say

A man wearing scuba gear allegedly swam up to a waterfront restaurant at Walt Disney World in the early hours of Monday, tied up two employees and fled with between $10,000 and $20,000, Orange County Sheriff’s Office officials said. The incident occurred just after midnight at Paddlefish, a large seafood restaurant housed in a replica steamboat at Disney Springs, the resort’s shopping and dining complex in Lake Buena Vista.

According to the sheriff’s office and charging documents, two employees were counting the night’s receipts in the manager’s office when the suspect entered, ordered them to "get down" and "close their eyes," and bound them. Surveillance footage shows the man wearing tight dark clothing, a wetsuit or diving hood, goggles, and blue rubber-like gloves. Deputies said he did not display a weapon and did not imply he had one. The theft and the entire encounter reportedly lasted less than two minutes.

Investigators believe the suspect stashed his scuba equipment before walking into the office and then put it back on after taking the cash, slipping into the adjacent pond and swimming away. A photo released by authorities shows the suspect appearing to spray-paint a...