Tempe liquor theft: Adult woman no longer considered as a suspect

TEMPE, Ariz. - Tempe Police say one of the two people who turned themselves in for their alleged role in the theft of an expensive bottle of liquor at a restaurant is no longer considered a suspect.

The backstory:

The incident happened on the night of May 4 at the Three Thirty Three Restaurant in Tempe, and surveillance video shows a man and a woman standing by a table when the woman grabs a bottle from a cart, and puts it in her purse.

The bottle of liquor in question is a Louis XIII cognac. A listing on liquor store Total Wine & More's website shows one bottle of the cognac can be purchased for $4,149.99.

"They came in and made a fake reservation under a fake name, fake phone number," said John DeVries with the restaurant. "[They] came in late, sat down, ordered appetizers and starters, and that was it. Started to complain a little bit, and they got up, asked to go smoke and we don't allow smoking outside, so I guess they went out the front. She came back in. He was blocking the view of the manager, and she came in and on camera, we see her putting it in her purse."

On May 12, Tempe Police said Channel Miller and Matthew Steve turned themselves in voluntarily.

"Investigators believe the couple may be associated with the Romanian Travelers criminal group, which is known to target businesses in theft and fraud-related crimes across the country," read a portion of Tempe Police's statement.

What We Know Now:

According to a statement released on May 13, investigators have reviewed newly received evidence, and they have confirmed that Miller is not the woman suspect in the theft.

"While probable cause existed at the time of her arrest based on the information available to investigators, the new evidence led detectives to determine she was not involved," read a portion of the statement.

As for Steve, investigators said he has been processed on felony theft charges. He was released from custody following an initial court appearance.

What's next:

Tempe Police say an investigation remains ongoing.

As for the bottle of liquor, we have learned that the restaurant will eventually get it back. By law, however, they can no longer serve it.

"It’s not that I’m upset. I’m disappointed," said the restaurant's owner, John DeVries. "They violated 100 people in this restaurant. Not just the ownership, but everybody, so it feels like they took something from us."