Crime
‘Ocean’s Eleven’-Style Heist Sees Over $600K Worth of Fine Wines Stolen in California
Knowledge Nuggets:
- A daring heist at Lincoln Fine Wines resulted in the theft of over $600,000 worth of high-end wines and liquors.
- The thief, who exhibited an in-depth knowledge of the store, made off with approximately 75% of the store’s inventory, including some irreplaceable items.
- Lincoln Fine Wines is offering a $10,000 reward for information that aids in the apprehension of the culprit.
In a burglary reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster, a thief pulled off a daring heist at Lincoln Fine Wines in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Venice, making off with over $600,000 worth of high-end wines and liquors.
The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Friday when the burglar cut a hole in the building’s roof, descended into the store using a rope, and covered the security cameras with socks.
Nazmul Haque, the owner of Lincoln Fine Wines, stated, “I used to always think they can break in the door and windows. Now, they come through the walls, they come through the roof. You never know.”
The burglar, displaying an alarming level of familiarity with the store’s layout, knew to target the wine cellar – home to the most expensive and rarest bottles in the collection.
Surveillance footage captured the thief carrying cases of wine. However, it wasn’t until 4 a.m. when the thief began to raid the store’s main shelves that an alarm was triggered, forcing a hasty retreat.
Upon arriving at his store at 4:50 a.m., Haque was met with the sight of empty shelves and shattered glass, as a shaft of early morning light streamed in through the hole in the rooftop.
The thief had managed to steal more than 600 bottles of expensive wine and pricy liquor, amounting to approximately 75% of the store’s inventory.
Among the stolen items were a bottle of Chateau Petrus 2016 valued at $4,500, a rare bottle of The Last Drop blended Scotch from 1971 priced at $6,000, and every single bottle of Giuseppe Quintarelli wine.
Store manager Nick Martinelle said that many of the stolen bottles were irreplaceable.
The robbery has been likened to the heist in the movie “Ocean’s Eleven.”
Lincoln Fine Wines is now offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information that assists the Los Angeles Police Department in apprehending the thief or thieves.
