"Cardboard Bandit" Busted After Targeting Businesses on Bike

Port Orange, FL - A Port Orange man, dubbed the "Cardboard Bandit" for using a discarded box as a disguise, was arrested following a series of bicycle-assisted break-ins.

According to the Port Orange Sheriff's Office, 34-year-old Alan Gaudreau allegedly embarked on a series of break-ins using a piece of cardboard from a garbage can as a disguise.

An investigation into Gaudreau began in early January when a business owner reported a break-in, with security cameras, a speaker, and internet cables missing.

Deputies found a bag containing the stolen items near the business and discovered all internet connections in the surrounding plaza had been severed before the incident.

Security footage revealed a white male on a bicycle using a cardboard box to shield his face while approaching the dumpster.

This same box was later found near the burglarized business.

Further footage showed the suspect, still on his knees, crawling into the business and searching behind the front desk.

Two similar incidents occurred in February and March at a convenience store and laundromat.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from all three crimes and identified Gaudreau as the suspect based on his physical description.

During his arrest, Gaudreau confessed to the crimes, admitting to using the discarded cardboard as a disguise during the initial burglary and acknowledging his involvement in the subsequent break-ins.

He faces charges of burglary, criminal mischief, and petty theft.