A bank robber who broke out of downtown Chicago's federal jail in an "old man" disguise has been recaptured. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, 38-year-old Kenneth Conley was arrested Friday while dressed as an elderly man wearing "sunglasses, a beret, an overcoat" and hobbling with "a cane."

A New Zealand (New Zealanders being fascinated with costuming news) report on the story elaborates:

Conley escaped from a high-rise lockup December 18, along with cellmate and fellow bank robber Joseph ‘‘José'' Banks, apparently by smashing a hole in a narrow cell window and climbing down 20 [stories] using a rope fashioned from bed sheets.

José Banks, who had already been recaptured by police, is also known as the "Second Hand Bandit" due to his habit of wearing "thrift store disguises" in an apparent nod to the Home Alone school of burglary.

Police officers were responding to a call about a suspicious man spotted sleeping in the basement of a condo under renovation when they confronted Conley, who was dressed like an old man, wearing a beret and glasses, and walking with a limp.

The most interesting member of the story, however, is the condo resident who aided the police in Conley's capture. A 33-year-old high school teacher who refused to give his last name, identifying himself only as "Dan," punched Conley in the face when he tried to enter Dan's home. Nothing gets past Dan:

"Where he met his end was here," [Dan] said. "He didn't get permission to enter my place. He got taken out of here in a bad way."

Careful readers will recall that back in November, an English teenager stole over $100,000 worth of jewelry from a London store while in disguise as an elderly man. This, of course, does not necessarily mean that all modern criminals have forgotten the masterful art of concealment; the truly well-disguised may be passing as old men in our midst even now.