They were caught “red” handed with a backseat full of expensive cuts of red meat.
Police said two men are behind a stealing spree at supermarkets along route 31 in Monroe and Wayne counties. “They went from one store to another on their way from Wayne County to Rochester,” says Officer Ed O’Konsky of the Macedon Police Department.
Much of the crime was caught on various store security cameras.
Cameras in one store captures a man wearing a baggy orange shirt covered with two layers of jackets walking into the store with a friend. From another angle cameras capture the two of them loading up ribs and other meats into a shopping cart.
Yet, 8 minutes later the duo leave the store without a cart or even bags.
“Basically, what they do is load up a cart, they go to a secure aisle like toys where it’s not likely to be busy,” says Officer O’Konsky. “They then conceal it on their person.”
Police showed a photo of where the ribs ended up-shoved under the seat of a PT cruiser. In the back seat were loads of beef filets, steaks, and sausages.
“There was just a whole back seat full of high class meat- expensive meat,” said Officer O’Konsky.
Macedon police said the men hit up grocery stores all along Route 31 in Monroe and Wayne Counties on October 23rd. The stores hit were the Perinton Wegmans, Palmyra Breens, and two Walmarts.
The stolen meat is valued at $235 dollars.
Rising food prices make meat such a valuable commodity they have a street value akin to electronics or jewelry. “They take it and pawn it for extra cash,” said Officer O’Konsky.
Supermarket Watch said in one year meat thefts across the country have grown 128 percent.
Richard J. Lupo of Auburn has been charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Police said his accomplice stole the meat items by concealing them under his shirt and in his pants.
That man has been arrested on past warrants and will be charged in the near future with these thefts.
