LONDON — A suspect in the recent $102 million jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris has been linked to a surprising act of kindness weeks before the crime. Ahmed Alla, 24, recounted his experience with the man, who assisted him when he was stranded on the Paris ring road in September.

In an interview, Alla described how he ran out of gas and faced potential fines when a motorcyclist stopped to help him. "I was calling the police to send a tow truck. Everyone was honking at me, but he was the only one who stopped to help," Alla said. The motorcyclist, whom Alla described as calm and reassuring, offered to push his car out of the way to avoid a €135 ($157) fine.

"He said, 'I can push your car out of the way, then we'll get it off the ring road, so you don't get a €135 fine,'" Alla recalled. Despite his initial concerns about safety, Alla accepted the help. The motorcyclist pushed the car approximately 200 to 300 meters and guided Alla off the highway.

In a video recorded by Alla, the man is seen waving goodbye and advising him to contact his insurance for a tow truck. "He was very kind throughout, right up to the end, giving me advice. Very, very nice," Alla said. The video gained attention online, leading to a user recognizing the man and connecting Alla with him on Snapchat.

Alla expressed his gratitude to the motorcyclist for his assistance. However, he was shocked to later discover that the same Snapchat handle was linked to one of the suspects arrested in connection with the Louvre heist. "When we texted, I realized he was incredibly kind-hearted. That's why I was surprised to learn he was involved in the robbery," Alla said.

Authorities have not confirmed the identity of the man in Alla’s video as one of the suspects currently in custody. The robbery occurred on October 19, when a group of thieves broke into the Louvre Museum’s Apollon Gallery and stole eight valuable pieces of jewelry, including items from the French crown jewels.

The thieves executed the heist shortly after the museum opened, using a mechanical lift to access a first-floor window. Two suspects forced entry by cutting through the window with power tools, threatened guards, and smashed the glass of two display cases. They spent about four minutes inside the museum before fleeing on scooters that were waiting outside.

One piece of stolen jewelry, a tiara belonging to Empress Eugenie, was found abandoned along the escape route. The brazen daytime robbery has raised serious concerns about security at the renowned museum. So far, seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the theft.