Man wearing Barack Obama mask robs Dunkin' Donuts store in Massachusetts

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Louise Thomas

Editor

A man wearing a Barack Obama mask turned up at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Massachusetts on Tuesday night – before waving a gun around and proceeding to rob the store.

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What initially may have appeared to be an early Halloween costume was actually a cunning disguise that completely hid the robber’s facial features.

The incident happened in the town of Salem just after 8pm, WMUR-TV reported.

While it could not be confirmed for certain, the gun appeared real and the suspect left with a wad of cash less than a minute after entering the fast food joint.

CCTV footage shows the man tugging at his grinning mask as he stands in front of the till. Dressed all in black, the faux President reportedly told the cashier to “hurry up”.

Police are now investigating whether the suspect has targeted other stores in the area. He was seen in a small, dark green Toyota without a rear number plate on the night of the robbery.

A police spokesman said officers are following up “numerous leads”. They are searching for video footage of the suspect without a mask on and trying to find out whether there was anyone else in the car with him, or if they can locate the missing number plate.

It is not the first time a robber has donned a famous face to commit a crime. In December 2009, a man wearing a Richard Nixon mask robbed two banks in Encino, California.

And in July a man was arrested after robbing a bank in Venice, Florida while disguised as Albert Einstein.