Toronto police are investigating after a man in his early 20s dressed as the Joker was spotted stealing from a store in Kensington Market.

The man dressed as DC Comics’s most famous villain has not been identified yet, but police are reviewing a security video posted by Wafels & More owner Christophe Stevens after he filed a complaint with police early Saturday.

The video, which gained thousands of views on Facebook Monday, shows the man speaking with a staff member at the cash register. The man steals a jar of tips at the front and walks out of the store once the staff member turns around.

The man can be seen wearing chalklike, pale makeup, with green-coloured hair which appears to be dyed. He’s wearing a black jacket and black pants with a white collared shirt and a dark backpack in the video.

“He’s pretty short, not too tall at all,” Stevens said, describing the man to be around five-foot-six.

Stevens told the Star this isn’t the first time he’s seen the man in his store.

“There’s some strange people in Kensington, so it’s not that surprising to me that this happened,” he said. “I’m not sure if it’s intentional that he appears to be dressed like the Joker from the Batman comics, but it certainly caught people’s attention that he looked like that online on Facebook.”

Stevens said other store owners in the Kensington area reached out to him with reports of thefts at their locations as well. He’s making efforts to decrease thefts in his store, he said.

“The man’s come in to our store multiple times as well,” Stevens said. “He’ll come in and head straight to the toilets, staying in there for more than half an hour. It’s funny because I’m not such a big fan of the Joker, anyway.”

Other store owners who commented on Stevens’ post did not immediately respond to the Star’s request for comment.

Police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante said she’s not sure other stores have also filed a report with police, but Division 14 is currently investigating the incident at Wafels & More.

In an email, Arrogante said police are considering a possible charge of theft under $5,000.

Clarification — May 13, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version to make clear Toronto police are considering a possible charge of theft under $5,000.

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