UPDATE: As of 6:30 p.m. Friday: Alison says the item has been recovered, by police.
A Valley business enjoying it's 15 minutes of fame after an appearance on the ABC show "Shark Tank" found themselves the victim of theft on Thursday.
Allison DeVane, founder of Tea-spressa, says three men were caught on camera walking into her business on Roosevelt Street and Central Avenue around midnight.
"It meant everything to me," DeVane said.
DeVane says the crooks stole a machine she helped develop. It allows her to brew her tea and expresso hybrid drinks.
Cameras caught the brazen crime from start to finish.
Three men rolled up in the alley behind the market in an older model Mercedes Benz. One of the individuals popped out and ducked his head from the camera's view. Moments later he's was seen carrying the 55 pound machine out the door. He hopped in the car, and the trio took off.
"You know this business is kind of like my baby," she said. "This is like my kid, my child, and someone just robbed it from me."
She says, just minutes earlier, the men were seen on camera eyeing the machine, and two of them looked right into the security camera.
DaVane thinks the appearance on Shark Tank may have played a part in the theft
"At first, my friends brought that up, that's probably a possibility, but I always try to think the best of people," she said.
DeVane called police and she's hoping someone recognizes the trio in the video so she can get her machine back in one piece.
