TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — The term “baggage claim” took on a different meaning for a 59-year-old Gaylord woman accused of carrying out a string of luggage thefts at a northern Michigan airport over several months.
Cherry Capital Airport police say they recovered all the stolen property, worth more than $10,000.
Renee Elias has been arraigned on two felony counts of larceny in a building. Airport Police Chief Joseph Fitzgerald said that, to his knowledge, Elias had no affiliation with the airport.
The first complaint came in April, but officers couldn’t determine when the bag had been taken because the traveler had sent it ahead. The investigation began in August, when several travelers reported that their checked luggage had been taken from baggage claim before they could retrieve it.
Officers reviewed airport surveillance footage and, with help from the Traverse City Police Department, used Flock cameras to identify Elias’ vehicle arriving at and leaving the airport.
Airport police obtained a search warrant and, with assistance from Michigan State Police, searched a Gaylord residence, where they recovered the stolen property.
“This case reflects the dedication and professionalism of our Airport Police officers, who remained committed to seeing this investigation through from start to finish,” airport CEO Kevin Klein said in a release.
