So...she's a cigar connoisseur!

[JohnS]

Some cigar connoisseurs are going to desperate lengths nowadays, it seems!

$1,500 worth of cigars stolen from Verona shop

Haley Daugherty - Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 

Verona Police have opened an investigation after a woman reportedly stole $1,500 worth of high-end cigars from Verona News and Cigars.

According to police and the store’s security footage, the theft occurred just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26. Footage shows a woman carrying six boxes of cigars out of the store. Nobody was injured in the incident.

“She has not (been identified), but I do have some leads that will hopefully aid me in identifying her,” said Verona police Officer Thomas Dessell.

He said a number of other cigar shops across the Pittsburgh area have had similar experiences. While cigars are not a common product targeted by theft, Dessell said, he’s starting to see people try to steal cigars to resell them more often.

“These were high-end cigars that only cigar connoisseurs would want,” he said.

Source: https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/1500-worth-of-cigars-stolen-from-verona-shop/

[JohnS]

Furthermore, does anyone have an idea who this lady is and what cigars she prefers to smoke? I think we'd all like to know! 😂

[Dr vonPuffenberg]

Looks like Davidoff

[Ford2112]

That's my girl!

[Chibearsv]

34 minutes ago, Ford2112 said:

That's my girl!

I figured she was muling them back to the Bay Area. Suspicions confirmed 😁

[Li Bai]

7 boxes for a total of 1500 $.... Nowadays it seems like pretty average cigars to me 🤔

[BrightonCorgi]

Monitor Bond Roberts

[Ruggerpgh99]

Looks Like Aladino boxes to me, can't zoom in to get more detail. 

[Arabian]

A purse, a cigarette and an ID on hand while carrying 6 boxes of Cigars.

This is quality, craftsmanship, and tradition.

[JohnS]

Verona police identify cigar theft suspect, issue arrest warrant

Haley Daugherty - Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024

Verona police are looking for a Buffalo, N.Y., woman suspected of stealing nearly $1,500 in high-end cigars.

Caitlin Connelly, 40, was caught on Verona News and Cigars security footage taking six boxes of cigars by West Tampa Tobacco, a high-end cigar company based in Florida, without paying on Sept. 26, according to police. There were 20 cigars in each box, valued at a total of $1,440.

Police identified Connelly through a Turo rental car. She was seen on security footage arriving and leaving the scene in a silver Audi. Turo is a peer-to-peer car rental marketplace that operates much like Airbnb or Vrbo, allowing users to rent cars from local hosts in multiple countries.

The registration booking for the car named Keondre Butler as the renter for Sept. 26-29, police said. When they spoke with Butler, police said he told them he let someone else borrow the car the day of the theft, claimed to not know the person’s name and refused to describe the borrower, police said.

On Oct. 3, police received a call from an unnamed person identifying Connelly from stills of the Verona News security footage that had been released to the public.

On Tuesday, police were able to make contact with Connelly, who told police she is a resident of Buffalo, N.Y. She admitted to being in Pittsburgh starting Sept. 18 to “get a tattoo,” police said.

But, she backtracked and claimed she was never in Pittsburgh when police asked for more information about her whereabouts. Connelly reportedly advised police to speak with her attorney, then refused to provide contact information.

Police said Verona News employees received a phone call the morning of Sept. 26 from a man claiming to be Jay Dickerson, the manager of Traditional Cigar and Pipe Shop in Squirrel Hill. Verona News employee Joelle Strahler said the man on the phone offered to buy the six boxes of cigars for his shop.

It’s common practice for local cigar shops to purchase stock from each other when sellers run low on a certain item, police said.

That afternoon, Connelly came into the shop claiming Dickerson sent her to pick up the cigars. Strahler previously told TribLive, when it came time for Connelly to pay, there was a disagreement on how much the cigars were supposed to cost.

“She was asking for them for pretty much half off,” Strahler told TribLive.

As Verona News employees were on the phone with owner John Henry to verify the price Connelly mentioned, she picked up the boxes from behind the store’s counter and ran out of the store, Strahler said.

After Connelly left the shop, Strahler told police she contacted Dickerson about the incident, who denied ever calling or sending someone to get cigars.

Connelly faces a felony charge for retail theft and a misdemeanor for receiving stolen property.

Source: https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/verona-police-identify-cigar-theft-suspect-issue-arrest-warrant/