$3,000 Of Beef Jerky Was Stolen From A New Mexico Specialty Store
A New Mexico beef jerky retailer is out thousands of dollars after thieves found their way inside the business after hours. Situations such as this have happened many times, often resulting in significant monetary loss. In 2005, Russian thieves broke into a parking lot to steal 22 tons of caviar from the back of a businessman's truck (per BBC). The thieves made off with 845 cans, which were valued at $470,000. Sometimes, these heists are large enough to affect the economy. According to The New York Times, the price of tomatoes skyrocketed in 2011 after six tractor trailers of tomatoes were stolen in Florida. Partnered with the swiping of frozen meat and cucumbers, the thieves stole $300,000 worth of goods.
There is one food that's stolen more than any other. A study from the Center for Retail Research revealed that 4% of all cheese is taken from stores illegally (via Time). And while cheese wasn't an option for these New Mexico thieves, it hits this beef jerky store just the same.
The small business is asking the community for help
A burglary over the weekend resulted in a $3,000 loss for DeeDee's Finest Beef Jerky in New Mexico (via KRQE). Surveillance video caught the perpetrators shoveling bags of beef jerky into a trash bag, with the thefts being spread out between 10 p.m. on Saturday and again at 4 a.m. on Sunday. The company's owner Denise Vigil was disappointed that the business was hit right before the holidays. "My employees have been working super super hard, over-time, weekends trying to get us stocked for our Christmas sales," she said (per KRQE).
The beef jerky store took to Facebook to ask for the community's help in finding those responsible. "If you see anybody selling it please let us know, there will be a reward," the post states. Fans of the store shared Vigil's disappointment on the post. "That is messed up!" one comment read. Another community member offered their assistance, writing "I'm so sorry to hear about this. Please let us know if we can help." Hopefully, with the help of those online and security camera footage, the thieves will be caught and the store can recoup some of its losses.