A man of Cuban origin is being sought by the police in connection with thefts at liquor stores in Hialeah, one of which involved the theft of three bottles of whiskey valued at approximately $500.
On October 13, around 10:55 PM, just a few minutes before closing time at El Gigante Liquor #2—one of the oldest liquor stores in the city of Hialeah—a thief approached the store's counter, seemingly to pay for three bottles of alcohol. However, instead of doing so, he warned the employee that he was going to steal them and instructed him not to intervene. He then fled the scene.
William Cholo, the manager of the liquor store located at 560 Hialeah Drive, told AmericaTeVé that the suspect allegedly entered with the intention of making a purchase and "started to walk around the liquor store."
"At the moment of almost closing, I was busy counting the money and tidying up when he grabbed three bottles, came over to me and said quietly, 'I'm taking this, don’t do anything.' In that moment, I was paralyzed; I couldn’t touch the door, I couldn’t touch anything, and suddenly, he ran off," Cholo recounted.
The employee was unsure if the thief was armed and tried to remain calm. After the individual left, the employee peeked out and saw him get into a car that was waiting outside and drive away. Both the robbery and the escape were captured by the surveillance cameras of the establishment.
According to Cholo, the individual took two bottles of Macallan whisky and one bottle of Dewar’s 18 years, valued at around $400 to $500.
When interviewed by the television channel, the official stated that, due to his accent, the suspect is of Cuban nationality and did not hide his face while committing the robbery. He also described the cap the suspect was wearing, which had the inscription "I’m Chucky."
After the incident, the owner of the liquor store reported it to the police. However, a few days later, the same individual visited another of his liquor stores, TLG Liquors, located at 405 Hialeah Drive. To his astonishment, he was wearing the same cap he had used during the robbery!
This time he didn't steal any bottles, but he was looking at the drinks from the same brands he had stolen at the other establishment, and even exchanged a few words with the owner, who managed to identify him. When he left, the man followed him, but he was already gone.
"Maybe he got into a car and left. He was even wearing the same cap, which is the strangest part. Who commits a crime and puts on the same cap? It’s like saying, 'Look, here I am, I'm the one who stole.' Thank God he didn’t pull out a gun or anything. It hadn’t even been two weeks since he robbed the other liquor store, which means he’s been around, checking all the areas to see who he can steal from, and we don't know if he might come back," expressed the owner of the liquor stores, identified only by his first name, Oscar.
The businessman and his family have been managing several beverage stores in Miami-Dade County for years, but in the past year, they have fallen victim to a notable increase in thefts. Throughout 2024, they have experienced more than 10 robberies, resulting in losses amounting to thousands of dollars.
Oscar emphasized that, in all cases, the thieves commit their crimes knowing that they are being recorded by the surveillance cameras of the establishments, and that the videos will be provided to the authorities.
What do you think?
VIEW COMMENTS (1)Filed under:
