The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested one suspect and is in search of others in connection with the July theft of $1.6 million worth of alcohol from a warehouse in Gibsonton, Florida, WFTS-TV reported.
The suspect in custody, Miguel Angel Artiles Rivas, was apprehended July 14, 2023 following the discovery of the stolen alcohol in a storage facility in Hialeah, South Florida, according to WFTS-TV.
The arrest report stated during the burglary, approximately $30,000 worth of alcoholic beverages on pallets were damaged and destroyed. https://t.co/lr52eelF7F
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Rivas, along with unknown accomplices, allegedly broke into the Republic National Distributing Company warehouse earlier in July. Utilizing the company’s forklifts, the suspects allegedly moved a massive amount of alcoholic beverages into multiple semi-trailers, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Three-Legged Bear Raids Home, Drinks Alcoholic Beverages Out Of Fridge)
Surveillance footage showed two semi-trailers leaving the premises on the morning of the theft. Authorities found the majority of the stolen goods — valued at over $1.5 million — and returned them to the owner, per the outlet. An estimated $30,000 worth of alcohol was reportedly damaged during the burglary, WFTS-TV reported.
“It’s alot, pallets and pallets stacked high of this alcohol. They loaded those trucks and took them out of here, and we later found them down in South Florida,” Marco Villarreal, Public Information Officer for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, told the outlet.
Authorities also issued an arrest warrant for Ruth Melly Cardero, 54, suspecting her involvement in the robbery. Both Rivas — who has pleaded not guilty — and Cardero are residents of the Tampa Bay area. Charges against Rivas include burglary and grand theft as the investigation continues, with authorities exploring the possibility of additional suspects involved statewide, the report says.