Crafty Crooks Hide Liquor Bottles Up Their Skirts
PEMBROKE PARK (CBS4) – BSO detectives are searching for two women who were caught on camera at a Broward liquor store shoving bottles of pricey champagne up their skirts before walking out of the store.
The thefts took place at the 23-Hour Liquor store located at 3163 Hallandale Beach Blvd. in Pembroke Park. The owner said the women stole four bottles of champagne and stashed them under their dresses. Each bottle cost about $90.
The surveillance video clearly shows the women pulling up their skirts and hiding the bottles and the entire time they try to play if off like they're really shopping.
"She grabs it, puts it up her skirt, just like that…two seconds, not even," store owner Paul Mouts said. "Then her friend grabs one, put it up her skirt."
When the women came out of the store, they got into a silver Dodge Charger. The store clerk ran out after them, when he couldn't stop them, he threw a bottle at them and shattered the back window of the vehicle.
Mouts said he has since moved the bottles.
"The cold ones were in the fridge, and now I have them locked up for display over here," Mouts showed CBS4's Ted Scouten.
By the looks of the situation from the video, they two women possible had shorts or girdles under their clothing.
"That's the thing, they're really big so you can't see it," Mouts said. "You can put a few bottles and I think they had a little contraption that held the bottle there so they can walk normal and you don't notice. "
Last October, a similar crime took place at the same store, as well as DPB liquor store in the same neighborhood. Those women were also caught on camera using a distraction technique. In those crimes, a man distracted cashiers while the women grabbed pricey bottles of liquor, shoved them up their skirts and casually walked out of the stores.
The store owner doesn't think these crafty crooks are the same from October but may have simply used the same technique.
If you know anything about the robbery or the suspects, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
