Eggs have become a prime target for thieves as the ongoing bird flu outbreak continues to send prices soaring.
Newly released surveillance clips from Luna Park Café in Seattle show two suspects loading hundreds of dollars’ worth of eggs and breakfast foods into a white van before fleeing the scene. The stolen eggs were part of a $780 haul, with 540 eggs alone valued at $387.
This Seattle case comes just weeks after another massive egg theft in Pennsylvania, where thieves stole 100,000 eggs worth approximately $40,000 from a Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs facility.
“It could happen once, it could happen again,” said Tom Flocco, CEO of Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs, who confirmed that additional security measures are being put in place to prevent future thefts.
The surge in egg-related crimes coincides with a nationwide shortage caused by the bird flu outbreak, which has affected more than 20 million birds in the past month. Infected flocks have been culled, further reducing supply and driving prices higher.
While 67 people in the U.S. have contracted bird flu, according to the CDC, officials report no human-to-human transmission of the virus.
