Fresh meat stolen from Florida restaurant 3 times in 2 weeks

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- Surveillance footage at a Florida restaurant captured what Tampa Police say is a thief stealing thousands of dollars worth of food.

According to the owners of Bayshore Mediterranean Grill, the male thief stole from the restaurant twice last week and returned to steal again Monday night. Nearly $12,000 worth of meat and other food items were stolen.

"He does not seem to care, he looks right at the camera, so it's been really disheartening and disappointing," said Katy Davisson, a restaurant employee. "He has to be local; he's carrying out all of this meat, and we haven't seen a car."

Restaurant owners say the thief has stolen their fresh meat supply, Turkish spices, beer and other side items.

"It's been incredibly difficult for us because we are family-owned. We're a small business," Davisson said. "It's been a bit challenging because now we have to go shopping, and that's a big shopping haul. We have to order all of our food again."

The owners believe the thief is jumping a fence at the back of the restaurant to gain entry. They said although they've added extra security and locks, that hasn't stopped the thief from coming back.

"He has to be somebody who either has a giant refrigeration unit or has a lot of friends that he's giving so much lamb to," Davisson said.

Tampa Police is investigating and hopes to identify the suspect captured on video.