A luxury hotel in Coral Gables discovered $7,854.36 in food missing from its kitchen and storage areas, including 192 lobster tails valued at $6,525. Police say surveillance footage later showed a former employee moving a cart loaded with lobster from a storage area.
Diego Alfredo Medina Acosta, 37, was arrested Oct. 5 in connection with the losses at the Biltmore Hotel at 1200 Anastasia Avenue. Coral Gables Police transported him to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after investigators said the hotel’s inventory records and surveillance footage established probable cause for a grand theft charge.
The hotel’s kitchen maintained an Excel inventory log that was updated every Sunday. According to the arrest affidavit, the investigation focused on Medina Acosta after hotel staff documented substantial food shortages and reviewed footage from areas where the missing products were stored.
Miami-Dade court records now show a written not-guilty plea and demand for a jury trial. Medina Acosta received a $2,500 bond, remained subject to an immigration hold and has a court hearing listed for Dec. 4.
192 Lobster Tails Accounted for $6,525 of the Missing Food
The Coral Gables Police affidavit says hotel security director Darren Kasuba and head chef Steven Hall reported numerous products missing from the Biltmore’s kitchen and storage areas. Hall told investigators the kitchen’s Excel inventory log was updated weekly to account for food products and inventory.
The missing products included 192 lobster tails valued at $6,525 and 116.7 pounds of pork belly valued at $637.18. Investigators also listed center-cut snapper valued at $273, cleaned calamari at $137.40, raw peeled and deveined shrimp at $89.30, Argentine chorizo at $54.28, potato gnocchi at $39.88 and coconut milk at $98.32.
The affidavit places the total reported value of the missing inventory at approximately $7,854.36. Hotel management initially contacted Coral Gables Police on Sept. 16 after the discrepancies were discovered.
Surveillance Showed a Cart Loaded With Lobster Leaving Storage
Police said surveillance footage showed Medina Acosta arriving at the hotel before his scheduled work hours and entering kitchen areas where the missing food was stored. He was also routinely seen entering and leaving through different parts of the property instead of using the designated employee entrance and exit.
In one sequence, investigators said Medina Acosta removed a cart carrying a large quantity of lobster from a storage area. When he later returned the cart, some of the lobster that had previously been visible on its lower portion was no longer there.
Medina Acosta agreed to speak with investigators after being advised of his Miranda rights. He said he clocked in early because he wanted to get a head start on his work and told police that after being at the hotel for approximately 10 minutes, he sometimes went home to drop off dirty laundry before returning.
Asked about the lobster cart, Medina Acosta said he had moved the product so it could thaw. The affidavit says he was unable to provide a direct explanation when asked why some of the lobster was no longer visible after the cart was returned to storage.
Food Shortages Dropped After Medina Acosta Left the Biltmore
Medina Acosta resigned before hotel management could terminate him in connection with the investigation, according to the police affidavit. Hall later told investigators that substantially more food remained at the end of inventory periods after Medina Acosta stopped working at the hotel compared with the shortages documented before his departure.
Biltmore Hotel President and CEO Tom Prescott said the company’s internal investigation was corroborated by an independent investigation. In a statement reported by CBS Miami, Prescott said the hotel has zero tolerance for theft or conduct that compromises trust within the organization.
Court Records Show a $2,500 Bond and Written Not-Guilty Plea
The Miami-Dade court record identifies Medina Acosta’s case as F26019925. The case was filed Oct. 6 following his Oct. 5 arrest by Coral Gables Police.
The docket records a probable-cause finding, a $2,500 bond and an immigration hold. It also shows that the Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Medina Acosta and that a stay-away order involving the Biltmore was entered.
Defense counsel filed a written plea of not guilty on Oct. 6, elected to participate in discovery and demanded a jury trial. The filing also waives Medina Acosta’s arraignment and his presence at that proceeding.
The Miami-Dade docket lists a Dec. 4 hearing at 9 a.m. The case remains pending, and Medina Acosta has not been convicted of the charge.