A brazen cargo theft at a Southern California distribution center has left iconic brewer Pabst Brewing Company turning to the public and social media to recover thousands of pounds of stolen Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) beer, worth an estimated $25,000. The incident, which unfolded on August 17 at Anheuser-Busch’s Montclair distribution facility, is one of two linked cargo heists pulled off the same day that have law enforcement investigating a potential coordinated fraudulent theft ring.
According to Montclair Police Department officials, the alleged perpetrator gained access to the PBR shipment by presenting falsified pickup documentation. The 18,144-kilogram (40,000-pound) load was bound for retailers in San Diego when it was driven off the lot. The theft occurred just one hour after a separate, similarly fraudulent pickup of a cargo shipment valued at $45,000 that was en route to Tucson, Arizona. To date, that first shipment remains missing two weeks after it was supposed to arrive at its destination.
Investigators have confirmed multiple key similarities between the two incidents, noting that all details provided for the supposed trucking company, driver, and vehicles involved contained significant inconsistencies that are still being probed. While Pabst Brewing is an independent brand, it holds a production contract with Anheuser-Busch that sees the lager brewed at Anheuser-Busch facilities, including the Montclair center. It has not yet been confirmed whether the missing Arizona-bound shipment also contained PBR products.
A company spokesperson clarified to CBS News, a partner of the BBC, that the theft was carried out by a single bad actor who impersonated the authorized carrier scheduled to collect the shipment before driving away with the full load.
In a playful yet earnest social media appeal, Pabst has leaned into its brand identity while asking for the public’s help locating the stolen beer. The company acknowledged the situation sounds inherently absurd, but emphasized that it is treating the theft with full seriousness. “We realise how ridiculous that sounds, but it’s the truth,” the company shared in its public post. “This is real and we are deadly serious.”
In a lighthearted nod to its founding year, Pabst extended a limited amnesty offer to the thief, giving them exactly 18 years and 44 minutes to return the full shipment with no questions asked. Beyond the amnesty window, the brewer has also put up an unspecified reward for any tip that leads to the safe recovery of the stolen PBR load. Law enforcement is continuing to work through inconsistencies in the fraudulent paperwork and vehicle details to identify the perpetrators behind the linked heists.