'They Knew What They Were Doing': Kokopelli Beer Company Targeted By Propane Tank Thieves
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) – As a Westminster brewery tries to get through the pandemic, becoming a victim of crime has added another hurdle. And it's not the only one.
"Just the other day somebody asked me if I was worried about somebody stealing something and I said, 'We've been really good. We haven't had any issues with that.' I spoke too soon," said Rick Holt, the head brewer at Kokopelli Beer Company.
On Sunday night, just before midnight, surveillance cameras caught a car and a rental van pulling up behind the business and stealing a large 100-pound propane tank.
"They were in and out of here in three minutes I'd say, by the looks of the camera," Holt said. "They knew what they were doing, they came in and they took the full tank that was easy to grab and they ran."
When the business posted their plight to Facebook responses of similar stories from other breweries around Colorado came in. Liquid Mechanic in Lafayette had several 20 pound tanks stolen out of heaters late last year. Just a few weeks ago Something Brewery in Brighton posted this video showing a man climbing over a fence to steal a propane tank. It doesn't appear the incidents are connected.
At Kokopelli, the theft is the latest headache the brewery and restaurant has handled during the winter. A snowstorm crushed the original tents they bought for outdoor dining. A group rebuilt the tents with new metal.
"We just appreciate all the support than everybody has given us," Holt said.
