A brazen drunk thug pulled off an “Ocean’s Eleven”-style robbery to reportedly steal $600,000 worth of expensive wine from an upscale California liquor store over the vacation weekend.
The savvy connoisseur cut a hole in the roof to interrupt into Lincoln Wonderful Wines in Venice, California, and rappelled down a tightrope before spending nearly 4 hours hauling away expensive French vintages, in response to the Los Angeles Times.
Among the many bottles stolen were the 2016 Chateau Petrus, which retails for $4,500, and types from the Cotron-Charlemagne family, including a 1994 vintage.
While it’s unclear which exact Corton-Charlemagne blends were used, a 1994 chardonnay from the label is included in the list online for $13,000.
Lincoln Wonderful Wines owner Nazmul Haque said some of the shop’s security cameras and sensors had been disabled in the times before the robbery, but he didn’t speculate whether the robbery was an inside job, in response to the Times.
Store manager Nick Martinelle said he found one of the safety cameras taped over the back of a “Smile: You are on Camera” sign that had been torn from the door of the wine cellar – where many of the costliest bottles were stored. in response to CNN.
“It was like something out of Ocean’s Eleven. We just couldn’t consider it,” he told reporters.
![A masked thief punched a hole in the roof of Lincoln Fine Wines in Venice, California, then went down to the store's basement and grabbed $600,000 worth of merchandise.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013680021.jpg?w=1024)
The masked thief was seen on security cameras as he entered the wine store parking zone in a white pickup with no license plates last Saturday at 12:30pm, the paper reported.
The thief, who stays at large, was wearing a black hoodie with “Anti Social Social Club” written on the back, in addition to a red peaked cap and gloves.
![The thief entered the store through a 5-by-3-foot hole cut in the ceiling. Customers speculate that it was an inside job, as the thief knew he was entering the basement where the most expensive bottles are stored.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013680006.jpg?w=588)
Haque was alerted by his security firm to the burglary around 4 a.m. after one of the working sensors went off and immediately ran to the shop, positioned about 3 miles from the famous Santa Monica Pier, the newspaper said.
But all he found were empty wine crates, broken display cases and ransacked shelves.
“There have been some abandoned crates on the roof, which makes me think he heard me coming,” Haque told The Times.
![AND](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013680004.jpg?w=1021)
A whole cellar wall full of French wines containing bottles, including Bordeaux and Burgundy, costing a mean of $1,000, was also cleared.
Also caught were Bonneau du Martray from 2008, Louis Latour from 2018, Domaine Roulot from 2019 and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey from 2020.
Haque estimated that 60% of his high-end inventory had been swept away, totaling about $600,000.
“I have been working on an inventory of missing bottles and the worth may go up before I’m done,” he told the outlet.
“To lose 10, 15 years of work overnight is devastating. I’m unsure I’ll get well emotionally,” he added, noting that “it took him years to construct this collection.”
![Glass drawers were broken and cleared of expensive supplies. However, the more affordable bottles of wines and spirits remained untouched on the shelves.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013679997.jpg?w=480)
One of the expensive liquors that the thief didn’t obtain was a 1975 Glenfiddich “Rare Collection” single malt whiskey, valued at $9,000.
Nevertheless, most of the opposite treasures were looted – while cheaper bottles corresponding to Dom Pérignon Champagne remained untouched.
The Los Angeles Police Department has yet to discover a suspect, and customers speculate that the robbery was an inside job, as only the perfect vintages appeared to be targeted.
![An entire cellar wall full of French wines - bottles of which cost an average of $1,000 - has been taken away.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013680000.jpg?w=480)
LAPD officials didn’t immediately reply to The Post’s request for comment.
The Post contacted Lincoln Wonderful Wines for comment.
Martinelle called the incident “horrific”, he told CNN that he was scared that the thief knew the placement of the basement from the roof and looked as if it would know that the most useful bottles were in the basement drawers, not on the shelves.
Haque told The Times that “whoever did it had lots of knowledge of the shop’s scheme.”
![Surveillance footage posted on Instagram showed the thief, who has yet to be identified, approaching Lincoln Fine Wines in a white van with no license plates.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013680023.jpg?w=1024)
In Instagram post, the wine store shared photos of broken glass on the ground, a hole cut in the shop’s ceiling, empty shelves and surveillance clips.
The caption said it was “offering a $10,000 reward for catching the burglars” and said the shop believed as many as three robbers could have been involved.