Woman allegedly spilled wine worth millions
In Spain, a masked person breaks into a winery and lets expensive wine tanks, filled with Edelmarken labeled wine, drain out. The damage amounts to over 2.5 million Euro. After several months of investigation, the authorities have now identified a suspect. Her alleged motive: Revenge.
A woman is suspected of deliberately spilling around 60,000 liters of high-priced wine worth more than 2.5 million Euro in Spain as an act of revenge. The former employee of the winery was arrested as a suspect in Villaescusa de Roa, approximately 40 kilometers north of Madrid, according to TV-channel RTVE, newspaper "La Vanguardia" and other media, quoting the authorities. The responsible police unit, Guardia Civil (Civil Guard), confirmed the information upon request.
The woman is said to have acted out of revenge because she had been dismissed from the renowned winery Bodegas Cepa 21 previously. The alleged sabotage act occurred in February in the municipality of Castrillo de Duero, around 150 kilometers north of Madrid. The incident caused a stir in Spain.
Company President "eased and happy"
The president of the affected company, José Moro, told "La Vanguardia" that he felt a bitter-sweet feeling after the arrest. He was relieved and happy about the alleged clarification but could not understand "how such a sacrilege could have been committed." He was also sad that the spilled wine, worth consuming, would be lost forever. Moro also mentioned the "economic blow" for his winery.
The intrusion was recorded on security cameras during the night of February 18th. In the videos, which were later published by the media, one can see a masked person entering the storage room of the winery in the famous wine region Ribera del Duero around 4:30 am and opening the valves of five stainless steel tanks containing wine labeled with the brands Malabrigo and Horcajo in less than a minute. From the beginning, it was assumed that the intruder knew the winery layout well. The suspect is currently out on bail, as there is no risk of flight, it was stated.
The woman's alleged actions have led to international news, with reports of a Spanish winery loss exceeding 2.5 million Euro due to spilled wine. Despite being fired from Bodegas Cepa 21, she decided to target the winery, known for its Edelmarken labeled wine, as an act of revenge.
