Notorious ‘Boozy Burglar’ took only ingredients for making cocktails, Florida cops say

UPDATE: The 26-year-old suspect in this case turned himself in and has been charged with burglary, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports.

The original story is below.

A Florida burglary suspect has become the butt of jokes on social media after video revealed he only stole ingredients needed to make cocktails, investigators say.

The video, posted Dec. 15 by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, shows the so-called “Boozy Burglar” entered someone’s apartment at 5:30 a.m. after finding the door unlocked.

“The unknown suspect walked in, uninvited of course, then walked back out with a bottle of Svedka vodka and a bottle of Florida’s Natural Orange Juice,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Dec. 15 Facebook post.

“That’s right, this burglar stole the ingredients to make a screwdriver and left.”

He also tried a door across the hallway, “but it was locked, and he left,” the sheriff’s office said.

Total value of the Nov. 23 theft was around $35, but investigators say the idea of a man entering someone’s home in the night makes the case more serious.

Video of the incident had racked up 53,000 views on Facebook as of Dec. 18, with over 1,000 reactions and comments.

The suspect quickly became known as “#TheBoozyBurglar,” with one commenter calling it a case of “breaking the internet with viral intent.” A few noted the man appeared unsteady on his feet, suggesting he may had already been drinking.

“Only on Florida does someone steal the ingredients to make a mixed cocktail, from an apartment, in front of a camera,” one commenter wrote on Facebook.

This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 7:25 AM with the headline "Notorious ‘Boozy Burglar’ took only ingredients for making cocktails, Florida cops say."