Florida Hotel Worker Stole 192 Lobster Tails from Hotel Kitchen Worth Over $6,500: Police

Charlotte PhillippThu, October 8, 2026 at 9:41 PM UTC

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Police said the worker also took pork belly, snapper, calamari and other kitchen inventory. (Stock image)Credit: GettyPolice allege he took pork belly, snapper, calamari and other kitchen inventory. -

A Florida hotel worker is facing a grand theft charge after authorities alleged that he stole thousands of dollars’ worth of food from its kitchen

Diego Alfredo Medina-Acosta was arrested Oct. 5 on a first-degree grand theft charge

Police allege he took lobster tails, pork belly, snapper, calamari and other kitchen inventory

A Florida hotel worker is facing a grand theft charge after authorities alleged that he stole thousands of dollars’ worth of food from its kitchen.

NBC Miami reported that 37-year-old Diego Alfredo Medina-Acosta was arrested on Monday, Oct. 5, for first-degree grand theft.

An arrest report obtained by the outlet stated that the director of security and head chef at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla., located about 7 miles outside downtown Miami, had called police to report that food was missing from the kitchen.

The hotel chef told police that he had noticed a large amount of food going unaccounted for, as the kitchen maintained an inventory log that was weekly.

A view of The Biltmore hotel in Coral Gables, Fla.Credit: Getty

Authorities stated that Medina-Acosta was suspected of stealing $7,854 worth of food, including $98.32 worth of coconut milk, potato gnocchi worth $39.88, Argentinian chorizo sausage worth $54.28 and raw shrimp valued at $89.30. He was also accused of stealing 11 cleaned calamari worth $137.40, 116.7 pounds of pork belly valued at $637.18, 30 center-cut snapper portions worth $273, and 192 lobster tails worth $6,525.

Police also alleged that surveillance footage showed Medina-Acosta arriving before his shift began and entering areas of the kitchen where the missing food was stored, per NBC. He could also allegedly be seen entering and leaving the kitchen from doors other than the employee entrance.

One clip of the security camera footage allegedly showed him removing a container of lobster and returning it without the seafood inside, the report said.

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When he spoke with investigators, Medina-Acosta said he clocked in early to get a head start on his work, though employees are not permitted to clock in before their scheduled hours, NBC reported. He also said that he left the building after 10 minutes to drop off his dirty laundry, and told police that he was removing the lobster to allow it to thaw.

Medina-Acosta resigned from his job after the incident, police said, per NBC.

“The Biltmore takes great pride in being recognized as one of South Florida’s Top Workplaces and in employing talented and dedicated professionals who uphold the highest standards of hospitality and integrity,” hotel CEO Tom Prescott told the outlet in a statement in part. “We have zero tolerance for theft or any conduct that compromises the trust placed in our colleagues and/or organization.”

“We welcomed that an independent investigation corroborated the findings of our internal investigation on this matter,” Prescott added.

PEOPLE has reached out to Coral Gables police for further information.

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Source: “AOL Breaking”