Two customer service agents working for Spirit Airlines are now confronting criminal charges following allegations they stole a passenger's designer purse valued at $500 from a Florida airport.
The Incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport
The alleged theft took place on October 19 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. A passenger, who was scheduled to board a Spirit flight to Austin, Texas, reportedly left her Louis Vuitton wristlet on the check-in counter shortly after 8pm. According to an affidavit obtained by the Daily Mail, a stranger found the item and handed it to an employee at the gate counter just ten minutes later.
CCTV Footage and Arrests
Investigators state that security camera footage shows the purse was not returned to its owner. Instead, the document alleges that three days later, at approximately 5:37am, guest supervisor Olukunle Idowu, 49, and colleague Hyacinth Linton, 56, were seen removing the purse from a drawer. The affidavit claims Idowu then took the contents out of the designer wristlet, placed them in a plastic bag, and discarded the bag around 6am as the pair left the airport. Linton is alleged to have then placed the empty purse into her personal backpack.
Court records show Hyacinth Linton was arrested on November 13. She was charged with petit theft of property valued under $40 and was released after posting a $500 bond. A plea has not yet been entered in her case.
Olukunle Idowu was arrested on November 21 and has pleaded not guilty to a charge of petit theft for property valued at more than $100 but less than $750. Under Florida law, petit theft is defined as the unlawful taking of property worth less than $750.
Airline Response and Lost Property Procedures
In a statement to the media, Spirit Airlines confirmed it is aware of the charges against the two employees. 'One employee has been suspended without pay, and the other is on a leave of absence,' the airline said. The carrier added that it is conducting a thorough investigation and will take further action as necessary.
The incident has highlighted airline and airport procedures for handling lost property. According to the Spirit Airlines website, passengers who leave items on an aircraft or at a ticket counter should report the loss online. Items left in other areas of the airport must be reported to that specific airport's Lost and Found office. Separately, the TSA states items left at security checkpoints are held for a minimum of 30 days.
An initial hearing related to the case is currently scheduled for January 8.
