Former Biltmore Hotel employee accused of stealing nearly $8,000 in food, including almost 200 lobster tails

A former employee at the Biltmore Hotel has been charged with grand theft after allegedly stealing nearly $8,000 worth of food, including almost 200 lobster tails.

Police charged 37-year-old Diego Alfredo Medina Acosta after an internal log revealed that $7,854.36 in food items were missing from the Coral Gables hotel where he worked.

The theft was uncovered when the head chef noticed discrepancies on an Excel inventory log. The head chef, hotel security personnel, and police reviewed surveillance footage showing Medina Acosta arriving before his scheduled shifts and entering a food storage area. Video footage captured him removing a cart loaded with lobsters.

Medina Acosta told police he clocked in early to get a head start on his work duties, according to the arrest report.

The stolen items included 192 lobster tails valued at $6,525 and 116.7 pounds of pork belly valued at $637.18. Police said center-cut snapper, calamari, raw shrimp, Argentine chorizo sausage, gnocchi, and coconut milk were also taken.

During his appearance in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, Judge Mindy Glazer noted the unusual list of stolen items.

"Apparently, he has a taste for lobster tails," Glazer remarked while reading details from the police report.

Glazer found probable cause for the grand theft charge, set bond at $2,500, and appointed the Public Defender's Office to represent him. Medina Acosta, a native of Uruguay, is also subject to an immigration hold and was ordered to stay away from the Biltmore Hotel.

According to the police report, Medina Acosta has resigned from the hotel.

In a statement, Tom Prescott, president and CEO of the Biltmore Hotel, reaffirmed the organization's standards for service and integrity.

"We have zero tolerance for theft or any conduct that compromises the trust placed in our colleagues and/or organization," Prescott said. "We welcome that an independent investigation corroborated the findings of our internal investigation on this matter."