Life-size Captain Morgan statue vanishes from Florida store and everybody has jokes
A life-sized statue of rum icon Captain Morgan was swiped from a southwest Florida liquor store, and even the cops are posting jokes.
It happened May 19 and surveillance cameras caught it all on video, including the fact the thief brought a dog.
“Aaarrgggghhhh ye able to identify this landlubber?” the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.
“The suspect in the video is seen removing a Captain Morgan statue from an Englewood business on May 19. His vessel be a blue, two-door pickup truck — and he seems to travel with a K9 first mate.”
Video shows it only took one man to pull off the kidnapping, but it wasn’t easy. The statue was pushed over the tailgate, then shoved into the bed of the truck like a body.
The flamboyant captain was last seen wearing a blue cape, carrying a sword and standing with one foot on a keg of his rum.
An employee of Beach Discount Liquors told station WBBH the statue stands about 6 feet tall and is worth “$2,500 to $3,000 online.” It was sitting outside temporarily while the store was being renovated, the station reported.
Social media reaction to the heist has been a mix of fascination and humor, with some suggesting the thief must “walk the plank.” Many puzzled over what the thief intends to do with the statue, which doesn’t blend well with yard gnomes and would be quickly recognized at a pawn shop.
“No!! Not Captain Morgan!” Michelle Conley wrote on the sheriff’s office Facebook page.
“Can’t blame him, I’ve always wanted one of those, just not to the point of stealing it,” Shannon McDougall wrote.
“I guess he wanted to sail with the Captain,” Lynn Burger Frost said.
“If ye have any information that can help send him to Sheriff (Bill) Prummell’s locker or help give us ‘a leg up’ in this investigation, call our non-emergency number (941) 639-2101,” The Charlotte County Sheriff Office says.
Englewood is about 85 miles south of Tampa in southwest Florida.
This story was originally published June 8, 2023 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Life-size Captain Morgan statue vanishes from Florida store and everybody has jokes."