A Doral restaurant employee has found himself on the wrong side of the law after allegedly getting caught on camera pilfering secret recipe books from his workplace. As per Local 10, the theft took place at Mordisco Miami, a spot known for its handmade arepas and Venezuelan-style steaks. The employee in question, 50-year-old Carlos Francisco Gottberg Marquez, has been slapped with a felony charge for his actions.
It seems the recipe books went missing from the restaurant, and upon reviewing in-kitchen surveillance footage, the staff at Mordisco Miami identified Gottberg as the alleged thief. According to details announced in an arrest report and a bond court hearing, he's accused of lifting two recipe books on Oct. 12, and striking again, by taking a third on Sunday. Mordisco Miami had installed surveillance specifically to safeguard such proprietary wonders as their unique menu items, which, now compromised, Mordisco has reason to believe the integrity of their secret concoctions could be exposed.
The arrest took a turn when authorities detained Gottberg at his second job, a sandwich and smoothie shop that does not feature Venezuelan fare. As reported by NBC Miami, when police explained to Gottberg why they were detaining him, he reportedly confessed, saying "It’s in my bike." Following his admission, Gottberg was taken into custody and later made what authorities described as a "full confession."
In the aftermath of his confession, officers escorted Gottberg to his residence to recover the stolen recipe books. Gottberg has since been charged with theft of trade secrets, and the court has set a bond at $2,500. What remains clouded by uncertainty is what Gottberg intended to do with the recipe books, with observers speculating on motives that could range from entrepreneurial ambition to simply a yearning for culinary mystery. Nonetheless, he was granted pre-trial release, with the stipulation that he keep his distance from Mordisco Miami, hence preserving, at least in part, the sanctum of their kitchen secrets for now.
