PALM COAST — Flagler County sheriff's deputies are investigating after a coordinated group of thieves reportedly stole nearly $3,000 worth of champagne and a box of fried chicken from two Publix stores in Palm Coast.

According to Sheriff’s Office reports, the thieves attempted to swipe several bottles from a third Palm Coast Publix but were chased away by a witness.

Reports state deputies responded to the Publix at 250 Palm Coast Parkway on Monday morning. A store manager told officers when clerks came in Friday they found several shelves in the wine section were empty.

Surveillance video showed three people entering and leaving the store multiple times Thursday, apparently concealing champagne bottles in their clothing or in $1 reusable grocery bags before slipping out of the store without paying for them. The thieves also stole an eight-piece fried chicken dinner valued at $8, the report states.

Publix managers told deputies the same trio stole several bottles from the Publix in Palm Coast’s Town Center shopping center, 800 Belle Terre Parkway, on Thursday. The thieves swiped a total of 47 bottles of champagne valued at $2,834 from the two stores. That includes 18 bottles of Clicquot Brut valued at about $1,081 and 29 bottles of Moet with a combined value of $1,753.

The group also apparently tried to strike the Publix at 4950 Belle Terre Parkway on Thursday night but a witness confronted one of the thieves as they exited the store carrying a bag filled with bottles. The man said he tried to keep the thieves from leaving but they fled.

Loss prevention officers were able to recover about $433 worth of champagne in that incident, reports state.