A Spirit Airlines passenger launched a frantic search after his stolen luggage disappeared upon arrival at a Florida airport, but managed to track it down thanks to one of the stolen items.
Paola Garcia was waiting on a carousel at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida for her small pink hard-shell luggage containing several Apple products, including her MacBook and two Apple Watches, after returning home to the Sunshine State, Local 10. report.
The exact time of the incident is unclear, but Garcia’s desperate desire to find the stolen property led him to go to the home of the suspected culprit before local police.
Garcia told the outlet that while she normally had no problem bringing her checked baggage on the flight, this time Spirit Airlines employees had made her check her bags before departing from New York.
But when she saw others taking their bags from the conveyor belt but hers wasn’t coming out, she began to panic.
“In my mind, I know I need a computer because I’m in college and I need a computer no matter what,” Garcia told the outlet.
Garcia said he waited “at least two hours” before giving up hope that his luggage might not arrive on the conveyor belt.
Garcia told the outlet that a Spirit Airlines employee told him not to worry and that his luggage would be sent to his home.
The next day, she started getting notifications from one of her Apple Watches, but it wasn’t from the airport, but from her home in Fort Lauderdale, 15 minutes away.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by Local 10, it was the home of Junior Basile, who worked at the retail store Paradise Shops at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Determined to retrieve her belongings, she went to the house, found her suitcase and belongings, and immediately called 911.
When police arrived, “the first thing they did” was question her about why she was in the home, Garcia said.
“The police were telling me, ‘What are you doing here? It’s very dangerous to be here,'” Garcia explained.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office determined that 29-year-old Basile was an airport employee and had been working there the day Garcia’s belongings went missing.
Unfortunately, by the time police arrived at his house, the alleged airport thieves had already made off with her belongings.
An investigation was launched and police found photographs of Basile rummaging through Garcia’s suitcase in the back of the store where Garcia worked at the airport.
Basile was subsequently arrested and charged with grand larceny, which is a felony in Florida if the value of the stolen valuables exceeds $750.
If convicted of grand larceny, a defendant could face between five and 30 years in prison and a fine of between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the case.
But the media outlet said Galica was concerned that Basile may be part of a larger theft ring.
“Personally, I think there’s a group of people working at the airport, not just one person,” she said. “There’s no way one person can claim their luggage.”
Police did not say how Basile managed to steal the packages.
After it was confirmed that Ms. Galica’s luggage had been stolen, Spirit Airlines issued a statement saying it had paid her compensation as a “courtesy.”
“While we are not currently aware of any evidence that Spirit Airlines employees were involved, we have issued a refund check to the passenger as a courtesy,” the airline told the news outlet. “We take allegations of this nature seriously and are investigating the matter.”
This isn’t the first time that Florida airport employees have been caught red-handed stealing from travelers.
In June 2023, two TSA officers were caught on surveillance video stealing at least $600 worth of cash and other items from an unsuspecting passenger’s luggage at Miami International Airport.
Video from the checkpoint shows two suspected thieves working together in the baggage claim area to steal cash from wallets and handbags in carry-on luggage on the way to the x-ray machine.
The thefts occurred while passengers were distracted by screening procedures and did not pay attention to their belongings.
