‘Very Well-Choreographed,’ Says Manager of Restaurant That Had $4,000 Bottle of Booze Stolen By Woman Who Simply Walked Up to Bar and Took it

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a woman who stole a bottle of Louis XIII cognac worth $4,000 from Mount Hamilton Grandview Restaurant in San Jose, California, after dining.

The manager of the restaurant described the theft as “very well-choreographed,” according to KTVU FOX 2. “This was like a hit,” the manager added.

Based on the manager’s characterization of the theft, you might be picturing some elaborate scheme. Like, say, in November, when two thieving hotel guests posed as a couple on vacation, requested to visit the hotel’s fine wine cellar, then returned later — while keeping the hotel’s only overnight employee distracted by requesting a salad at 1:30 a.m. — to steal 45 bottles of wine, including one worth about $406,000.

Despite the manager’s description, this one wasn’t quite as elaborate. Security camera footage published by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office showed the woman simply walking behind the unmanned bar, taking the bottle and walking away, joined by a man as she departed.

It wasn’t exactly “Ocean’s Eleven.”

To the manager’s credit, it does seem co-conspirators were involved. During the time frame during which the woman walks up to and behind the bar, three other people besides the thief and the man she walked away with are captured on camera, all of whom appear to be in cahoots with the thief. None of them seemed perturbed or stopped her from stealing the bottle, anyway. As far as we can tell, their only roles were to keep a lookout, but maybe it’ll turn out one of them was responsible for distracting the bartender, which would give this a little more of a heisty feel.

Deputy Russell Davis of the sheriff’s office told the Los Angeles Times that the restaurant didn’t initially notice the bottle was gone. The bottle was stolen at about 5 p.m. Tuesday, and the crime wasn’t reported until late Friday afternoon.

The manager told KTVU that the woman was part of a party of 10 who had dinner at the restaurant before the theft. The group paid $1,600 in cash for dinner.

The bottle of Louis XIII was almost 100 years old, the manager said.

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the female suspect, as well as other people captured on the security camera.

“It’s such a clear video,” Davis told the Los Angeles Times. “Someone out there knows who they are.”

Anyone with information can call 408-808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at 408-808-4431.

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