KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville police are searching for a man who employees said broke into their taproom's fenced-in smoker overnight to cook a steak.
Gypsy Circus Cider Company said the break-in happened at its Barrelhouse taproom on Lamar Street around 11 p.m. Wednesday, saying the "Hamburgler" damaged the fence in the process.
Employees said they arrived Thursday morning to find the charred remnants of a steak that had been left on the smoker, saying they checked security video to find the incident had been caught on camera. In the video, a man could be seen breaking into the fence -- apparently to cook a steak. Employees said the man then returned after midnight to check on it.
Gypsy Circus turned the video over to police, saying KPD is investigating the incident as vandalism.
“While the humor of the incident is not lost on us, the seriousness of what could have happened is real. Fortunately, we have solid evidence to give to police on this case. It’s in our neighborhood’s best interest to address crimes like this,” said Barrelhouse co-owner, Stephanie Carson.
The Barrelhouse and police are asking for help identifying the man. Anyone with tips regarding the person's identity is asked to contact the East Tennessee Valley Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or online at www.easttnvalleycrimestoppers.org.
