A luxury Florida hotel is missing nearly $8,000 worth of food, including a staggering 192 lobster tails, and police say a former kitchen employee is responsible.
The alleged Biltmore lobster theft led to the arrest of 37-year-old Diego Alfredo Medina-Acosta on October 5, 2026. According to NBC 6 South Florida, Medina-Acosta faces a grand theft charge after investigators connected him to missing food supplies at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, just outside Miami.
And lobster was only part of the missing menu.
According to the police report cited by NBC 6, investigators documented approximately $7,854 in missing inventory. The biggest loss involved 192 lobster tails valued at $6,525. Authorities also identified 116.7 pounds of pork belly worth $637.18, 30 portions of center-cut snapper worth $273, and 11 cleaned calamari valued at $137.40.
Other missing products reportedly included shrimp, Argentinian chorizo, potato gnocchi, and coconut milk.
The investigation began after the hotel’s head chef noticed that significant amounts of food were disappearing from storage. According to WSVN 7News, management reported the missing inventory to police on September 16. The kitchen maintained weekly inventory records, making the shortages increasingly difficult to overlook.
Investigators then examined surveillance footage that allegedly showed Medina-Acosta entering food storage areas before his scheduled shifts and using entrances other than the designated employee doorway.
One recording reportedly showed him removing a cart loaded with lobster and returning it without some of the seafood.
When questioned, Medina-Acosta told investigators he arrived early to get ahead of his workload. He also claimed he sometimes left shortly after arriving to take dirty laundry home. As for the lobster, he reportedly explained that he was removing it so it could thaw.
According to the arrest report, however, he could not clearly explain why the seafood was missing when the cart returned.
Police said Medina-Acosta resigned before hotel management could terminate his employment. Investigators also noted that inventory levels improved after his departure.
The Biltmore addressed the allegations through CEO Tom Prescott, who emphasized the hotel’s workplace standards.
“The Biltmore takes great pride in being recognized as one of South Florida’s Top Workplaces and in employing talented and dedicated professionals who uphold the highest standards of hospitality and integrity,” Prescott said in a statement.
“We have zero tolerance for theft or any conduct that compromises the trust placed in our colleagues and/or organization.”
“We welcomed that an independent investigation corroborated the findings of our internal investigation on this matter,” Prescott added.
While the Biltmore lobster theft has attracted attention because of the enormous quantity of seafood involved, restaurants have faced similarly unusual thefts before.
In August 2023, Miami police arrested Joseph Paul Putzulu after he allegedly targeted OFF SITE Nano Brewery in the city’s Little River neighborhood. According to Local 10 News, surveillance footage showed a man climbing over a shipping container to access a restaurant storage area and throwing food over a barrier.
Authorities said the stolen items, including lobster and restaurant equipment, exceeded $1,000 in value. Putzulu was arrested on burglary and grand theft charges.
Another South Florida restaurant theft case involved considerably more money.
In June 2025, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that two former Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop employees had been arrested after the owners accused them of stealing approximately $52,800 in food and merchandise from locations in Plantation and North Miami Beach.
Investigators alleged that former manager Shamika Johnson and Johnny Georges Dorvil removed meats, bread, cheese, and other supplies over several months. Police records also alleged that the stolen ingredients were used to operate a separate cheesesteak food truck. Both faced grand theft charges.
The alleged losses were devastating for the business owners, who said one location had already closed.
Restaurant lobster theft even made headlines in Brooklyn on Christmas Eve 2025. According to News 12, a couple dining at Red Hook Lobster Pound allegedly grabbed a live lobster from a tank and fled after employees asked them to leave for vaping inside.
Unlike the Biltmore case, that incident involved just one lobster, but it demonstrated how quickly an ordinary restaurant visit can turn into a theft.
For the Biltmore, the allegations involve much more than one missing meal. The hotel reported thousands of dollars in losses, and the case highlights how access to commercial kitchens and storage areas can become a significant security concern.
Medina-Acosta has been charged, but the allegations have not been proven in court.
