Snowmass police: Shoplifter swiped high-end booze
Police in Snowmass Village have launched an investigation into a purported serial shoplifter who they believe purloined high-end bottles of booze from two liquor stores Tuesday.
The suspect is described as a black male dressed in construction-worker clothing. He is suspected of stealing $1,800 worth of alcohol from Sundance Liquor & Gifts and $300 in booze from Daly Bottle Shop.
“Both thefts occurred within minutes of each other,” Snowmass police said in a statement issued Thursday. “A review of security video in both stores confirmed the thefts.”
Snowmass Police Chief Sgt. Brian Olson told The Aspen Times it appears the suspect dressed as a construction worker as a ruse.
“He wasn’t wearing a hard hat, and he was wearing a reflective safety vest and baggy blue jeans and construction boots,” Olson said. “So he had the look of a gentleman who was working construction locally, and I believe that’s part of his game.”
Olson said the man stuffed the bottles into his baggy clothing. Bottles of Dom Perignon and expensive wine were taken from Sundance Liquor, Olson said.
“Our first indication was that maybe he’s stealing booze because he’s an alcoholic,” Olson said. “But he stole some pretty impressive stuff, and I don’t think he’s wasting his time drinking that.”
Olson couldn’t say what type of booze was taken from Daly Bottle Shop, but it was a single bottle of high-end adult beverage.
“This leads us to believe he knows what he’s looking for and who he’s targeting,” he said.
Olson said the Police Department has a strong lead on the suspect’s identity, thanks to some detective work by a Sundance Liquor employee who discovered an online news story from Texas describing a serial liquor store shoplifter dressed like a construction worker.
“Snowmass Village Police are working with other law enforcement agencies in the valley to determine if there are more victims in this case,” the statement said. “Any business realizing a similar occurrence should make a report to their local law enforcement authorities.”
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