The designer bag is worth $500.
The troubled Spirit Airlines is embroiled in an unflattering controversy after two employees were accused of stealing a passenger’s Louis Vuitton wristlet. Olukunle Idowu, 49, and Hyacinth Linton, 56, were arrested after airport surveillance cameras recorded them going through the contents of the purse and leaving with it.
In October, a passenger left behind a $500 Louis Vuitton wristlet at the counter at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. Surveillance footage captured the bag at the Terminal 3, Gate F6 check-in counter, according to police reports. Someone handed the bag to a Spirit employee, who placed it in a drawer at the gate.
Three days later, Idowu removed the wristlet from the drawer and checked its contents at another gate before Linton arrived and also inspected it. It’s alleged that Idowu then transferred the contents into a plastic bag, and Linton put the empty wristlet in her backpack. Both employees walked out after Idowu threw away the plastic bag containing the remaining items. The evidence against the two staff members was captured on tape.
Idowu was arrested on November 21. He pleaded not guilty to the petit theft charge and is no longer in police custody. Linton was arrested on November 13; she is also no longer in custody after posting a $500 bond. She has not entered a plea.
Spirit Airlines said in a statement to the Miami Herald that it was aware of the charges against its employees. “One employee has been suspended without pay, and the other is on a leave of absence. We are conducting a thorough investigation into this matter and will take further action as deemed necessary following the conclusion of our investigation.”
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Related: Why I Will Never Ship My Luggage Again and You Shouldn’t Either
Luggage often goes missing while traveling, and there have been multiple instances in which employees have been accused of exploiting these mishaps. In one case last year, an airport worker was charged with grand theft after a passenger tracked her electronics to his home.
That theft also occurred at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Paola Garcia’s flight was canceled, and all passengers were asked to pick up their luggage. Her bags never arrived on the carousel, but she tracked her Apple Watch to a residence in Fort Lauderdale, which allegedly belonged to an airport employee. Her Apple products and high-end clothing—worth $5,000—were never recovered, but Spirit Airlines reimbursed her as a courtesy. The worker was also caught on tape with a bag matching Garcia’s description and was terminated. He pleaded not guilty to grand theft charges.
Related: My Checked Bag Never Arrived. So, I Traveled Across the World to Find It
U.S. airlines lose more than two million suitcases each year. Many end up at Unclaimed Baggage in Alabama, where people can purchase their contents. If you don’t want to battle your airline over mishandled luggage, try not to check a bag. If you must, consider using AirTags for your luggage—airlines are using the same technology to help reunite passengers with their bags.
