SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office needs your help identifying four people accused of stealing luggage from the Sacramento International Airport Monday.
According to the sheriff’s office, the four people – two men and two women – were at the airport Monday around 4:15-4:30 a.m.
Security video shows them roaming the area, looking at all the bags sitting around in baggage claim due to all the flight cancellations. The Sheriff's Office says the group went to both Terminal A's and Terminal B's baggage claims, but an employee in A approached the group to ask what they were doing and the group left soon after.
Ultimately, the security video shows three of the four people leaving Terminal B empty-handed, but one of the women is seen leaving with two roller bags.
They were then seen driving a white Dodge pickup truck with custom black wheels to another area, where they went through the bags and dumped items they didn’t take.
The bags belonged to Erica Schwartz, of Los Angeles, who found herself stranded in Sacramento when her Christmas Day flight to Denver got suddenly canceled.
She found out she'd been the victim of theft when she received a call from a Good Samaritan.
"Going to work and I see a couple suitcases there on the side [of the road]," said Ed Sanchez, who lives near the airport, on Garden Highway. "It's like, 'Man, holiday season. Somebody's visiting or going home and they lost their bags."
On his way back from work later in the day, the bags were still there.
"And it's like, 'You know, why not. Couple of seconds,'" he recalled. "I pull over and, sure enough, there's a tag on it, so I make the call."
Erica got her luggage back—with most of its contents.
"I'm missing, like, toiletries and a bag of socks...a neck pillow," she said. "Things that you can't really re-sell, which I thought was extra strange."
She says she'd like to see the thieves caught, "so they're held accountable and it doesn't keep happening," Schwartz said.
That's why the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office has released the photos, said spokesperson Sgt. Amar Gandhi.
"We're imploring the public: Please come out, please identify these folks. Bring them forward and bring them to justice," said Gandhi.
Schwartz said she also wants Southwest Airlines to take responsibility.
"When I went to the head of the Southwest line [on Monday], they said, 'Oh we're not liable for your stuff because it was taken off airport property' and that only the sheriff's department was responsible," said Schwartz. "I don't think it's the case. I mean, [Southwest Airlines] should be responsible for what happened to my stuff when it was in their possession."
ABC10 reached out to Southwest Airlines for a response. A spokesperson sent this statement:
“Our Teams are working around-the-clock to reunite Customers and their luggage as quickly as possible. For Customers who have not yet received their luggage, they can visit Southwest.com/baginfo for additional info and steps they can take to assist us with reuniting them and their luggage. For further information, please contact local authorities and the airport.”
After Schwartz' bags were stolen Monday, the airport and Sacramento County Sheriff's Office stepped up security. As of Thursday, hundreds of unclaimed bags remain in terminal B, but they're now roped off, with lots of eyes on them.
The theft was part of the aftermath of a massive winter storm that caused nationwide chaos for travelers trying to catch a flight on the day after Christmas, especially those booked on Southwest Airlines, who accounted for a vast majority of cancelations. Thousands of bags were left in baggage claim at SMF.
