Phoebe Judge

A repairman in the Sacramento area who closed up eight rooftop holes said the robber was clearly determined. He said he had dug through asphalt and sheet metal and even used an axe to chop through a roof in one location. The police started asking the public for help. They set up a hotline for any tips. And they also released a description of who they thought the rooftop robber was.

This is not the kind of person family members would be suspicious of, an investigator told a reporter. When they picture the kind of person who can rob, they don't see him. The investigator also said that the suspect was motivated by money and, quote, has a good relationship with his mother. She added, you can just tell that by the polite way he treats people.

This is not the kind of person family members would be suspicious of, an investigator told a reporter. When they picture the kind of person who can rob, they don't see him. The investigator also said that the suspect was motivated by money and, quote, has a good relationship with his mother. She added, you can just tell that by the polite way he treats people.

And then, a month later in May of 2000, a masked man entered the McDonald's in Belmont, North Carolina. He put Mervat Fayyad and her co-workers in the walk-in cooler and shortly after was caught by police. His name was Jeffrey Manchester. He was 28 years old and had a rifle, drills, pry tools, and hammers with him and a nylon bag stuffed with $8,000. He was also carrying a military ID.

And then, a month later in May of 2000, a masked man entered the McDonald's in Belmont, North Carolina. He put Mervat Fayyad and her co-workers in the walk-in cooler and shortly after was caught by police. His name was Jeffrey Manchester. He was 28 years old and had a rifle, drills, pry tools, and hammers with him and a nylon bag stuffed with $8,000. He was also carrying a military ID.

He was in the Army Reserves. The police put Jeffrey Manchester into the back of their car and drove him over to the McDonald's that had just been robbed to see if the employees recognized him.

He was in the Army Reserves. The police put Jeffrey Manchester into the back of their car and drove him over to the McDonald's that had just been robbed to see if the employees recognized him.

The officers had also found Mervat's keys, the ones he took, because they had a can of pepper spray on them. They gave them back to her. The McDonald's employees looked at security footage from outside the restaurant to figure out how he might have gotten to their store in the first place.

The officers had also found Mervat's keys, the ones he took, because they had a can of pepper spray on them. They gave them back to her. The McDonald's employees looked at security footage from outside the restaurant to figure out how he might have gotten to their store in the first place.

There was a ladder to the roof attached to the side of the McDonald's, but the bottom six feet or so were locked behind a cage to prevent people from climbing up on it. Mervatt says the video showed him jumping up onto the unlocked part of the ladder and climbing up.

There was a ladder to the roof attached to the side of the McDonald's, but the bottom six feet or so were locked behind a cage to prevent people from climbing up on it. Mervatt says the video showed him jumping up onto the unlocked part of the ladder and climbing up.

She says it looked like he first tried to dig through the ceiling into the bathroom, but they'd just installed sheetrock and he couldn't get through it. He ended up coming through the ceiling of the stockroom in the back of the restaurant.

She says it looked like he first tried to dig through the ceiling into the bathroom, but they'd just installed sheetrock and he couldn't get through it. He ended up coming through the ceiling of the stockroom in the back of the restaurant.

Skye Pooley, along with another agent, got on a plane to North Carolina.

Skye Pooley, along with another agent, got on a plane to North Carolina.

Just eat a spoonful of peanut butter.

Just eat a spoonful of peanut butter.

They started talking. Jeffrey Manchester told them that he'd read about the McDonald's robberies on the West Coast and had decided to try it for himself. He said he was just a copycat and had nothing to do with the robberies in California. Skye brought up a robbery that had happened outside of San Francisco.

They started talking. Jeffrey Manchester told them that he'd read about the McDonald's robberies on the West Coast and had decided to try it for himself. He said he was just a copycat and had nothing to do with the robberies in California. Skye brought up a robbery that had happened outside of San Francisco.

Jeffrey Manchester was originally from the Sacramento area, and he was estranged from his ex-wife. McDonald's officials said he had never worked at McDonald's before, but his ex-wife had a decade earlier. Sky Poley told us that when he looked into it more, he found that Jeffrey Manchester had worked at a McDonald's in the Sacramento area, but at a different location than his ex-wife.