Thieves robbed the Los Angeles-based alcohol distillery, Fog Shots, on Sunday and made off with more than 1,800 gallons of vodka, reports said.
(Google Street View)
Police in California are on the hunt for three potential suspects seen on surveillance video who may have made off with more than 1,800 gallons of vodka from a distillery on Sunday, reports said.
The Los Angeles Police Department is reviewing surveillance footage showing three people creeping around the property of Fog Shots distillery weeks before the business was robbed, ABC 7 reported.
Art Gukasyan, the company’s CEO, told KTLA 5 that nothing was taken the night of the video. But he said he believes those people seen on it are likely to be involved in the robbery that occurred three weeks later.
THIEF TRIED TO USE DEAD WOMAN’S $2M IN STOCK TO BUY GOLD, FEDS SAY
In the surveillance tape obtained by the outlet, a man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth can be seen climbing over a fence covered with barbed wire, with two other people below. The shot then cuts to him crawling on all fours on the building’s rooftop.
During the heist nearly a month later, the thieves cleared out a fully stocked storage room, leaving behind boxes and broken shot glasses on the floor, ABC 7 said.
“We had alcohol stacked all the way to the ceiling,” Gukasyan told the outlet, adding that around 90% of the company’s product was taken, worth almost $280,000.
It was not clear how the thieves managed to escape with their loot, which was more than 9,000 bottles, KTLA said.
UTAH MAN STEALS KAYAK FROM JAIL THAT JUST RELEASED HIM, OFFICIALS SAY
Gukasyan also said he thinks the thieves gained access to the building through the front door after sawing through the dead bolt locks, according to ABC 7. Next to the entrance is the phrase, “Please do the right thing,” which evidently did not stop the burglars.
The company reportedly has insurance so their losses are expected to be covered but Gukasyan told the outlet that “it definitely takes us out of the holiday stores.”
Another issue he noted was the possibility that the looters could try to sell the stolen alcohol to underage kids, according to KTLA 5. All of the liquor bottles reportedly have barcodes and can easily be tracked, making it difficult to re-sell.
“At the end of the day these guys who took the product didn’t know what they were doing because you really can’t do anything with that product,” Gukasyan told the outlet. “You can’t go to stores and sell it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
