A passenger on a Spirit Airlines flight managed to locate her stolen luggage after it went missing upon her arrival at a Florida airport. She used one of the stolen items to help in her search.
The passenger, Paola Garcia, had been waiting for her small pink hardshell luggage at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s Carousel. The luggage contained several Apple products, including her personal MacBook and two Apple watches.
Garcia’s luggage never appeared on the baggage carousel, causing her to panic. She eventually gave up hope after waiting for at least two hours.
The next day, she received a ping from one of her Apple Watches, which led her to a home 15 minutes away from the airport. The home belonged to Junior Bazile, an airport employee who was working when Garcia’s belongings went missing.
Garcia went to Bazile’s home, found her suitcase and belongings, and immediately called 911. When the police arrived, they questioned her presence at the home.
An investigation revealed that Bazile had been an airport employee working the day Garcia’s things went missing. Pictures showed him rummaging through her suitcase at the airport store.
Bazile was arrested and charged with grand theft. Garcia expressed concerns that he may be part of a larger group of thieves operating at the airport.
Spirit Airlines issued a reimbursement check to Garcia as a courtesy. They stated that they were not aware of any evidence implicating their employees in the theft.
In a similar incident in June 2023, two TSA officers were caught on surveillance footage stealing cash and other items from passengers’ luggage at Miami International Airport.
The thefts occurred while passengers were distracted during the screening process, allowing the officers to steal from their belongings.
