Man with sticky fingers wanted for allegedly taking honey without leaving money in Northern Colorado
A Northern Colorado small business owner is asking for law enforcement's help finding the man who allegedly stole $500 worth of honey from her stand in Berthoud.
The business owner, who wished not to be publicly identified, reported to the Weld County Sheriff's Office that her honey stand was stolen from over the weekend. The sheriff's office launched an investigation on Sunday.
The alleged thief has not yet been identified by law enforcement. However, security camera footage from the stand obtained by CBS News Colorado shows a man with dark hair, a mustache, and tattoos on both arms taking jars of honey from the stand early in the morning.
The stand is self-serve, meaning people who want to purchase honey can take as many jars as they want, so long as they leave payment behind for the small business owner. Usually, stands will either leave out a locked payment box for cash to be dropped, or provide a QR code on their stand for digital payment.
The man in the video took the honey but left no money, according to Melissa Chesmore, a spokesperson for the Weld County Sheriff's Office.
"The victim estimated around $500 worth of honey was stolen," Chesmore said. "In the video footage, you can see the suspect walk up. He goes to work stealing the honey."
The camera also captured audio of the multiple jars of honey being piled into what appears to be a milk crate. The man, who has tattoos that appear to include wings on his left bicep, then struggles to lift the container before walking away with it.
"It's important for us to solve this case because, at the end of the day, it's not just about stolen honey; this is a business owner and this is their livelihood. So, we want to help them out and try to solve this case for them," Chesmore said.
The suspect in the case, if caught, is facing misdemeanor charges, which could result in up to 120 days behind bars and a $750 fine. The WCSO is asking anyone who may recognize the man to call the sheriff's office.
Weld County is one of the top agricultural counties in the country, and small honey stands are part of that community. Chesmore said this type of crime has caught the attention of the surrounding community, and she believed someone would be able to help identify the man quickly.
"(The victim is) a small business owner. They are a member of our community. Weld County has a large agricultural community. It really tugs at the heartstrings of people because a lot of people can relate to small business owners and trying to make it out there when times are tough," Chesmore said. "We are hoping somebody does know who this person is because our footage is really good."
