$6500 Rolex Thief Caught on Video at Florida Airport

$6500 Rolex thief caught on video at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 18.

A surveillance video from the security checkpoint at a Florida airport shows a traveler stealing a $6,500 Rolex watch and a bracelet from a fellow passenger.

Gloria de Regalado, 43, was flying from her South Florida holiday home to Kentucky and momentarily left the luxury timepiece behind in a gray plastic bin after she grabbed her bag and coat and left the screening area. Police in Broward County are now searching for the brazen thief using the Transportation Security Administration footage captured at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 18.

The footage shows the man directly behind her, dressed in a white jacket and blue jeans, noticing the items as he gathers his own belongings in Terminal 3 of the airport.

The TSA cameras clearly show the man scooping up the Rolex watch and bracelet before moving away from the security checkpoint and depositing them in his backpack.

About 30 minutes later, Mrs. de Regalado reportedly noticed her watch missing. A check by airport staff found no trace of the watch with the thief long since departed.

When they reviewed the surveillance footage, they noticed that the items were stolen.

Mrs. de Regalado told the Sun-Sentinel that the jewelry was a gift from her husband to celebrate several milestones including the births of her three children, her 40th birthday, and their 10th wedding anniversary. The bracelet was symbol of her Catholic faith.

She said she normally puts such items in a closed purse, but this time, in a rush, put them directly into the bin.

Mrs. de Regalado claimed she made eye contact with the suspect at the airport before she realized the pieces were missing.

He had an opportunity to do right by himself, she told the Florida paper. He knew who I was and he could have redeemed himself, but he didn't.

A $1,000 reward has been posted for any information leading to the thief's arrest.

View the surveillance footage of the Rolex thief below: