Theft usually happens at night, when everyone else is in their bed, sleeping peacefully. However, a distillery in Albuquerque experiences the opposite. They experience theft in broad daylight, but more of that? They actually stole about 100 yards of fencing.
Frank Holloway, owner of Hollow Spirits Distillery, was in disbelief after finding out his fences were stolen.
“They stole our fence. I didn’t realize people steal fences,” he said.
What remained of the fence surrounds the second location of Hollow Spirits Distillery before it could even open. Surveillabce video from April 30 shows two men removing a large steel fence at Eubank and Spain.
Holloway said they began by sawing at the bottom of the fence then sawing them in between each one. After that, theyr emoved about 10 sections, placed it on truck with a flatbed and drove off.
“Basically took them an hour and a half, and really 20 minutes of working time. They knew what they were doing. They were professionals,” Holloway said.
No one near the area suspected a thing about it and he understands why.
“They had hard hats on. They set up during the day, so it looked like a construction crew. Even our neighbors…they saw some people working on our fence, and didn’t realize they were stealing,” he said.
Disguising is one of the schemes of many thieves for other people not to suspect them about doing their thing. And it works every single time.
Many would think why would a thief steal a fence however law enforcement officials tells they actually use those materials for scrap, resale, or reuse.
They can sell stolen materials for up to as much as 80% of its market value, making stolen fence, profitable.
Holloway thought the property was perfect for distillery’s second location. But now, he is thinking twice.
According to him, nothing such as this happened in their first locations for several years despite the place having homeless.
Holloway says its going to cost them $10,000 to get them $100. He was disappointed with the event, telling the thieves to do better.
He is hoping insurance will cover the cost and is trying to keep his own spirits up as he moves forward with the opening.
The Albuquerque police are investigating the theft. If you have surveillance or dash cam video from April 30 from around 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. call 242-COPS.