An alleged duo of daring liquor thieves could have hit another South Jersey store.
Since June stores in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester Counties have reported a man caught on camera stuffing booze down his pants and a woman distracting the clerk as they made off with high-priced bottles.
The man, whose face is clearly shown on multiple surveillance videos, drops as many as five bottles of high-priced liquor into his pants in a matter of seconds while his female counterpart acts as a diversion, police say.
“There’s got to be something inside the pants that’s holding the bottles,” Country Club Tavern owner Russ Buckingham, whose store was one of the targets, told NBC Philadelphia.
“It’s almost too much for one person or two people to drink themselves,” Buckingham said. “I’m sure they’re just selling it at a 50 percent discount and just pocketing the cash.”
The couple has stolen hundreds of dollars worth of alcohol from at least five stores in Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland counties since June, police say.
Well possibly make that six. After our story ran last week, the son of the owner of a Franklin Township liquor store called police saying the same couple was caught on tape stealing from his store.
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“I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ it’s the same people and he’s doing the same exact thing,” said Gary Singh.
Workers in the stores have yet to catch the couple in the act.
“All liquor stores should be aware,” New Jersey State Police Det. John Hannigan said.
The duo made off about 350 bucks worth of liquor from Singh's store alone.
Investigators say the two have been seen in a white four-door car, which might be an older Saturn, with a rear spoiler. They have also been seen in a maroon subcompact vehicle, police say.
Anyone with information should call New Jersey State Police at 609.561.1800.
