Currently serving a 40-year sentence, Jeffrey “Roofman” Manchester is portrayed by Channing Tatum in the new movie “Roofman,” which co-stars Kirsten Dunst and is reviewed here. The story below originally ran in the L.A. Times on April 26, 2000.

He makes his trademark entry through the roofs of hamburger restaurants and other businesses, hacking out a hole with saws and drills--even an ax--and dropping in to surprise employees.

Despite an occasional pistol-whipping or shots fired into the air, victims say the notorious rooftop robber remains a cordial character who suggests they don their jackets before he locks them up shivering in the walk-in freezer. He later calls the cops to open the cooler.

The masked, athletic suspect, whom authorities have dubbed Roofman, has struck 38 time

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