Saturday, November 7, 2009
Liquor store owner feeling blue after collector's bottle of whisky stolen
WESTON, Fla. (WSVN) -- Instead of paying the steep price tag for a limited edition bottle of whisky, a man grabbed the collector's item, shoved it into his pants and walked out of a liquor store.
Carolyn Hernandez, co-owner of Master Wine and Liquor, said she didn't realize that the rare $3,500 bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label had been stolen until three days later.
After removing the bottle from the plexi-glass case where it was displayed, the suspect grabbed another bottle and put that in its place. "We were really shocked that someone was able to get that bottle out of the case, it's a locked case, and we've had it there for three years. It's a collector's item," Hernandez said.
The bandit also got away with three bottles of vodka and a bottle of wine, but it's the unique 200th anniversary bottle of whisky which hurts the store owner the most. "It's a special bottle to us. It's a collector's item like I said. It's a very limited edition, they really aren't any around," said Hernandez. There are only six bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label distributed in the state of Florida.
A similar situation took place a few weeks ago in South Beach. A man was caught on surveillance stealing a $2,000 bottle of wine. After the story aired on the news, the thief sent his lawyer back to the store with the bottle of wine. Hernandez is hoping to be just as lucky.
The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic male, with a mustache. He's about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs approximately 250 lbs., and was seen on video wearing a black and white, striped shirt with a collar, and blue jeans.
If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.
(Copyright 2009 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
