AND Spirit Airlines passengers refused to stand by and do nothing after her suitcase containing several Apple products and her jewelry disappeared.
Paola Garcia revealed that she was traveling from New York and landed at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when she realized her small pink hard-shell suitcase was missing.
- Paola Garcia tracked her lost luggage to an address in Fort Lauderdale using her Apple Watch
- The suspect, Junior Bazile, was caught on camera rummaging through Paola’s suitcase at an airport retail store.
- Spirit Airlines said they currently have no evidence of their employees’ involvement
Inside the suitcase was the young airman’s MacBook, two Apple watches, an iPad, jewelry and her designer clothes.
While speaking with Local 10, the passenger revealed that she normally carries her luggage with her on board without any problems. Returning home to the Sunshine State, however, this time she was told by airline staff that she would have to check in her luggage.
A Spirit Airlines passenger who landed at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had a scare when her suitcase didn’t arrive on the conveyor belt.
Image credits: Forsaken Films/Unsplash
Image credits: Local 10
Once back in Florida, Paola headed to the baggage carousel and guarded her pink suitcase. When her luggage didn’t appear on the conveyor belt, she panicked and waited “at least two hours” before giving up hope.
“I think to myself, I need my computer because I’m going to university, I need my computer regardless,” she told the paper.
The airline staff assured her that her suitcase would be found and sent to her address. The next day, however, things took an unexpected turn.
While at home the morning after her travels, the university student said she received a notification from her Apple Watch. And to her surprise, it didn’t come from the airport, but from a random address in Fort Lauderdale.
Paola Garcia was able to track down the alleged thief’s address with a little help from her Apple Watch
Image credits: Local 10
Image credits: Local 10
It was “fifteen minutes from the airport,” she said.
“So you decided to go to this house?” Local 10 News reporter Jeff Weinsier asked her.
“Yes, because I said how Spirit can deliver my suitcase there,” she replied. “Yes, because I needed my computer. I [had a] test that day.”
The passenger traced the address using the signal from her Apple watch and found herself in a house where suitcases were lying everywhere.
Paola then called 911 and informed officials of the situation.
“The first thing the police said to me was, ‘What are you doing here? It’s so dangerous for you to be here,” she told the reporter.
Investigators quickly learned that a man named Junior Bazile, 29, lived in the home and was an airport retail employee.
The 29-year-old suspect, Junior Bazile, was caught on camera rummaging through a passenger’s luggage while in the back of a retail store at the airport.
Image credits: Local 10
Image credits: Local 10
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said the suspect was working at the airport the day Paola returned home from Florida. Surveillance footage captured a man in the back of the Paradies Shops rummaging through a very pink suitcase belonging to a young passenger.
After removing the student’s MacBook and other belongings, he was filmed placing the pink suitcase into a large clear plastic bag.
A retail employee was disposing of the items stolen from his victim’s bag when officers arrived at that home. He was eventually arrested and charged with grand theft, opening up the possibility of spending 5 to 30 years behind bars and paying fines ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
Spirit Airlines released a statement confirming the incident. They also said they were not aware of any of their employees being involved in the theft.
“As a courtesy, we issued a reimbursement check to the guest, although we currently have no evidence that any Spirit employees were involved. We take any allegations of this nature seriously and investigate them,” the statement said.
Paola said she believes the accused man caught on camera with his hands on her belongings was not working alone and may have been part of a larger ring.
“Personally, I don’t think there’s one person working at the airport, I think it’s a group,” she said. “One person can’t do it, take the bags.
Spirit Airlines released a statement saying they were not aware of any of their employees being involved in the theft
Image credits: Local 10
Amidst all these events, Local 10 News reporter Jeff also showed up at the suspect’s house and met his mother, who was initially willing to answer all his questions.
“The police come here and find nothing,” she told reporters. “Nothing in my house. Nothing in my house.”
When Jeff pointed out that the passenger’s Apple watch was ringing from inside her house, the mother became aggressive and grabbed the reporter’s ID from around his neck. She refused to return it and started screaming for help.
The woman was also caught on camera striking Local 10 News employee at one point, but claimed she was the one Jeff hit.
Although the argument was caught on camera, the reporter did not press charges against the woman.
It’s only been a few months since two other Florida airport employees were caught stealing passengers’ luggage at Checkpoint E at Miami International Airport. New York Post.
Two TSA (Transportation Security Administration) officers, Josue Gonzalez and Labarrius Williams, were caught on camera searching passengers’ luggage. The pair allegedly stole at least $600 in cash and other items while working at the airport.
Most people in the comment section agreed that the suspect who stole Paola’s luggage could not have acted alone
