The tale of Roofman may seem like a product of Hollywood, but the true events behind it are just as astonishing.
The movie Roofman, featuring Channing Tatum in the lead role, is based on the life of Jeffrey Manchester, a notorious criminal.
Hailing from Sacramento, California, Manchester became infamous as an armed robber who frequently targeted fast food establishments by entering through their roofs.
With a background in the military, Manchester’s usual method involved drilling a hole in the roof during the late hours or early morning, then sneaking inside to wait for the staff to arrive.
At that point, he would emerge, armed, and instruct the employees to lock themselves in the restaurant’s refrigerator while he looted the cash registers.
It’s believed that he employed this tactic to rob approximately 40 locations over a two-year period.
Eventually, in 2000, Manchester’s crime spree came to an end when he was apprehended and sentenced to 45 years behind bars for the robberies, which dated back to late 1998.
However, after only four years, Manchester orchestrated a bold escape. He hid under a delivery truck, concealed by a plywood platform he had camouflaged in a workshop.
Once free, he hitchhiked from the Brown Creek Correctional Institution to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he began planning his next move.
In a choice that seemed reckless, Manchester decided to hide in the backrooms of a Charlotte Toys “R” Us.
This location was ideal due to its large storage areas, which were rarely frequented by others.
He sustained himself on baby food, candy, and other snacks, even daring to explore the store at night when it was empty.
During the 2004 holiday season, as the store became busier, Manchester relocated to a vacant Circuit City next door.
There, he created a relatively comfortable living area, decorating with posters and watching movies to kill time.
Astonishingly, Manchester didn’t just lay low; he engaged with the local community, attended church, and even dated a woman under the alias John Zorn.
On Boxing Day that year, Manchester executed a robbery at the Toys “R” Us using his usual strategy, but this time, two employees managed to escape and alert the police.
Authorities soon uncovered Manchester’s hideout and identified him as the fugitive they had been pursuing for the prison break.
Although Manchester initially evaded capture after the robbery, he remained in Charlotte and was eventually apprehended when his girlfriend cooperated with the police to set up his arrest.
He received a forty-year prison sentence and continues to serve his time at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.