Three thieves were caught on camera robbing what appeared to be an expensive bottle of liquor from a Houston, Texas, liquor store.
Little did the men know what they were stealing was not the original $4,200 bottle they thought they were taking but an inexpensive decoy.
The incident occurred on May 23 at around 2 p.m., according to the Houston Police Department, local outlet KRIV-TV reported.
It began after three black men walked into the store located on block 2800 of Katy Freeway. The ordeal was recorded on security cameras.
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After arriving at the store, the three men started looking around a locked display case containing a bottle of alcohol inside.
The thieves then inquired about the bottle to an employee nearby.
When the employee took the bottle out, however, one of the three snatched it before darting out of the store, KRIV-TV reported.
Another grabbed a second box of the same alcoholic beverage, only to drop it after realizing that it was empty, investigators said.
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Officers later learned from the employee at the store that the bottle inside was not the original but a much cheaper decoy.
The suspects are still on the run, and authorities are requesting citizens to help find them.
One of the three men is described as wearing a white pullover, black shorts, a white cap and white shoes during the time of the incident.
The second is described as donning a black Nike pullover, dark shorts and blue shoes at that time.
The third is described as having a goatee and wearing a black jacket and blue jeans
Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering a reward of $5,000 to anyone who can provide information that leads to the suspects’ arrest.
Citizens can report such information to officers by dialing 713-222-TIPS or by filling out an online tip.
According to the U.S. News & World Report Crime Index, Houston had a higher than average crime rate compared to similar-sized cities nationwide in 2020.
