Police are asking for the public’s help to catch a Florida man they said stole a car carrying $10,000 worth of the COVID-19 vaccine.
A 2018 Hyundai Accent was stolen from the Strawberry Festival grounds at about 3 p.m. on Wednesday, the Plant City Police Department said. The driver of the vehicle, a contractor for CDR Maguire, exited the car and left the motor running, after which the thief took off.
Police shared video of the incident on Facebook, imploring members of the public with knowledge to contact authorities.
The company explained that the driver was taking the vaccines, which were in temperature-controlled containers, to Strawberry Festival grounds, but there was “a line that hindered him from entering” the delivery point, at which point, he got out of the car to find security, the Associated Press reported. Along with the vehicle, the carnapper allegedly drove off with 30 vials of the vaccine stored in the coolers.
CDR Maguire indicated theft of the vials was not the likely motive of the crime.
“We have no reason to believe the thief knew the vials were in the car,” representatives said in a statement.
The company added it already replaced the missing vials, and no planned vaccines were canceled because of the theft.
