PALM COAST, Fla. – A man was arrested after stealing nearly $4,000 worth of meat from two Palm Coast Publix stores, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
On Jan. 5, surveillance footage captured Heannys O. Alvarez Reyna, 30, of Jacksonville, around 7:30 p.m. at the Belle Terre Crossings Publix, where he carefully selected $1,574 in premium beef and lamb, the sheriff’s office said on social media. Less than 20 minutes later, he drove to the Island Walk at Palm Coast Publix, and stole $2,084 worth of pork, top sirloin, brisket, tenderloin and personal care products, the post states.
Detectives later identified Alvarez Reyna as the driver of the suspect vehicle from both reported thefts. Alvarez Reyna later told detectives that after his stealing spree, he drove to his girlfriend’s residence only to discover she was cooking with another man, which prompted him to toss most of the stolen meat, deputies said.
“This wasn’t just a case of someone trying to ‘meat’ their budget. This was a calculated, ‘high-steaks operation’ that left two stores with significant losses,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.
Alvarez Reyna, a Cuban national, was arrested for felony retail theft and transported to the Flagler County Jail. He is being held on a $5,000 bond in addition to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.
Alvarez Reyna’s case is the second meat-related theft reported in Florida this month after the owner of a South Florida grocery store said a man was caught on camera stuffing steaks in his pants.
[WATCH: Man stuff steaks in pants]