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Dozens of propane tanks stolen from Colorado brewpub during dangerously cold weekend

Thieves target Colorado veteran-owned business, take $1,500 of propane tanks
Thieves target Colorado veteran-owned business, take $1,500 of propane tanks 02:13

A brewpub in Westminster is recovering after thieves stole more than two dozen propane tanks over the weekend. The holiday weekend saw temperatures dip below zero in many parts of Colorado with wind chills reaching dangerously low levels.

"There's a little tiny crack, and he was able to look in and see. You can see how excited he gets," said Chris Miser, as he showed CBS Colorado surveillance video of the incident.

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More than two dozen propane tanks were stolen from Frolic Brewing Company in Westminster over the weekend.  Frolic Brewing Company

Miser is the owner of Frolic Brewing Company, a veteran locally owned brewpub that's been around for roughly seven years.

"They're slowly moving, they're getting out of their car, looking for stuff to steal," said Miser.

It was 7:30 a.m. Sunday, when two men pulled up in a white flatbed pickup truck in the alley behind the brewpub. Miser says it feels like it is a crime of opportunity during such a cold weekend in the Denver metro area.

"Because nobody is going to be out when it was that cold at that time in the morning," he said.

After rummaging through the brewpub patio for propane tanks, the two men pulled up to Miser's shed, cut open the lock, and stole 24 more tanks before driving off.

"I'm sure they're selling it," he said. "Screw someone over so they can sell it at a swap meet or flea market or marketplace or Craigslist, and get some easy cash and disadvantage someone else."

Even in the winter time, Frolic Brewing Company likes to keep its customers warm both inside and outside using patio heaters, which is why they say it is a blow to business to be losing more than $1,500 worth of propane tanks at the start of the year.

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Frolic Brewing Company CBS

"These are the months because it's so cold after the holidays we lose money in these months, a lot of businesses do. So, to lose an extra $1,500 during that doesn't help anything," he said.

Westminster police told CBS Colorado they don't have concrete information these thieves already knew these propane tanks were inside the shed or if they were stolen to be resold during this cold weather.

While Miser continues to look for his tanks via Facebook Marketplace or other sites, he is also determined to stop this kind of theft from happening again.

"People have offered to donate, offered to donate propane tanks, but we're not asking for money. We just want the guys caught," said Miser. "Because if these guys are in my community, they're in the neighborhoods that are right behind my community and they're doing the exact same thing. So, unless we catch them and bring them to justice, it's just going to keep happening."

Westminster police are asking anyone with information about this crime to contact them at 303-658-4360 or Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).

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