THIS is the shocking moment a couple allegedly swiped a $4,000 bottle of rare cognac from a high-end steakhouse before fleeing in a black SUV.
Surveillance footage shows a woman appearing to calmly stealing a luxury bottle from a rolling drinks cart and slipping it into her handbag.
A couple allegedly stole a four thousand dollar bottle of Louis XIII cognac from a restaurant Credit: Kaos Hospitality Group
The woman appears to be getting the expensive liquor from a drinks cart as her male companion makes sure nobody is watching Credit: Kaos Hospitality Group
Meanwhile, her male companion seemed to be positioning himself to block the view of staff at the Three Thirty Three Restaurant in Tempe, Arizona.
The brazen pair are accused of taking a prized bottle of cognac after their meal on Monday.
Staff at the upscale steakhouse claim the suspects carefully planned the alleged theft from the start, according to KSAZ-TV .
The duo reportedly booked a table using a fake name and phone number before arriving late and ordering only appetisers.
Restaurant veteran John DeVries said he was stunned by the alleged crime.
“You know, I’ve been in this world for 43 years, and I haven’t ever been robbed like this,” he told KSAZ-TV.
The restaurant says the couple began making minor complaints before getting up from their table.
According to DeVries, the man allegedly distracted the manager while the woman slipped back inside and made her move.
The pair then reportedly fled the restaurant in a black SUV Credit: Kaos Hospitality Group
The alleged crime took place at the Three Thirty Three Restaurant in Tempe, Arizona Credit: Google maps
“[They] came in late, sat down, ordered appetizers and starters, and that was it. Started to complain a little bit, and they got up, asked to go smoke and we don’t allow smoking outside, so I guess they went out the front,” he said.
“She came back in. He was blocking the view of the manager, and she came in and on camera, we see her putting it in her purse.”
The bottle allegedly stolen was a Louis XIII cognac worth more than $4,000.
A listing on Total Wine & More’s website shows the luxury drink selling for $4,149.99.
“We’re a very high-end Asian-inspired steakhouse. We do a lot of tableside experiences, and the Louis XIII is a white-gloved tableside experience,” DeVries said.
“It’s all about the visual. When people see the cart, and they see it rolling around, and they see the Louis XIII and all the other liquor that was on here, it’s an experience.”
The suspects allegedly fled the scene in a black SUV with the license plate 34A8H5, according to Kaos Hospitality Group, which owns the restaurant.
Police have been notified and an investigation is ongoing.
In a statement, the Tempe Police Department said it had “no additional information.”
DeVries also warned the alleged thieves, saying: “You didn’t need to rob us.
“You didn’t need to come in and steal. Stealing from me, stealing from this family here, that’s not happening.
“We’re on you. We’re gonna get you. We’re gonna prosecute you.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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