Thieves breaks into Venice wine store through roof, steals more than 600 top-of-the-line bottles
The owner said the burglar was there for more than four hours, taking more than 600 bottles from his prestigious wine collection.
VENICE, Calif. (KABC) -- Some very expensive wines, worth possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars, were stolen during a late-night burglary at a wine store in Venice.
It happened around midnight on Friday, June 30, at Lincoln Fine Wines on Lincoln Boulevard.
According to owner Nazmul Haque, the burglars cut a hole through the ceiling, directly above the store's wine cellar where some of his most prized wines were stored.
The thieves reportedly used rope to climb down into the cellar.
Haque shared surveillance video with Eyewitness News, which shows one burglar - hiding behind a dark hoodie and mask - carrying a case through the store.
The owner said the burglar didn't leave until 4 a.m., taking more than 600 bottles from his prestigious wine collection.
"It's like I'm shocked, you know, because you don't expect these things," said Haque. "So when you see something happen you don't expect ... I don't know how long it will take to recover. It's not only financial, it's emotional."
Haque said the thief or thieves took wines that are worth several thousand dollars, many of which can't be replaced.
"My collection started 16, 17 years [ago]," he said. "I have a lot of French Burgundy that's just hard to get."
Haque believes multiple people were involved in the crime and said the thief appeared to know exactly what he was looking for.
He's now warning other business owners to make sure they are equipped with better security cameras, not just at their entrances, but on their roofs as well.
"I'm trying to send this message to all our business people of the neighborhood," he said. "I want to tell everybody that they can be cautious and they can prevent this loss."
Meanwhile, anyone with information on this case is urged to contact authorities.
