【ANN NEWS, MONTCLAIR】 A bizarre cargo theft recently occurred in Montclair, Southern California, where large quantities of beer mysteriously disappeared while in transit, including one truckload carrying about 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon and other beer products. Police said the two related cargo thefts involved merchandise worth a total of about $70,000 and are investigating whether the same group was responsible for both incidents.
The thefts occurred on August 17 at a beer distribution facility on Brooks Street in Montclair. According to police, at about 10 a.m., a shipment worth approximately $45,000 that was supposed to be delivered to Tucson, Arizona, was picked up but never reached its destination. About an hour later, another shipment was arranged for pickup through a subcontracted trucking company. Police said those involved allegedly submitted fraudulent documents before taking approximately $25,000 worth of Anheuser-Busch and Pabst Blue Ribbon products.
The two missing shipments were worth a combined total of about $70,000. Police are currently investigating whether the two cases are connected.
One of the most notable missing shipments included about 1,400 cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and about 200 cases of Old Milwaukee nonalcoholic beer, weighing nearly 40,000 pounds and totaling more than 50,000 cans. The shipment was originally scheduled to be delivered to San Diego.
Pabst said the incident may not have been a traditional violent truck theft, but rather involved someone impersonating the transportation personnel originally assigned to pick up the shipment, completing the pickup process at the distribution center and then driving away with the entire load.
After the case became public, Pabst posted a notice on social media reading “STOLEN — 40,000 lbs of beer,” asking the public to help locate the missing shipment. The company also addressed whoever took the shipment in a humorous manner and at one point offered a “no questions asked” return if the goods were brought back within a specified period. According to CBS Los Angeles, Pabst was willing to offer a cash reward equal to half the value of the missing beer if the entire shipment was safely recovered.
Montclair police are continuing to investigate the case and are working to determine whether the two cargo thefts were planned and carried out by the same suspects.
In recent years, cargo theft in Southern California has drawn increasing attention. Unlike traditional thefts involving broken locks or stolen trucks, some criminals use fake trucking company identities, fraudulent documents or impersonate legitimate carriers to obtain shipments. This type of “strategic cargo theft” has also created new challenges for identity verification and supply chain security in the logistics industry.
