Stolen ‘Baby Bee’ balloon quickly recovered by APD

The special shapes balloon called “Joelly Bee” was stolen in a trailer attached to a Chevy truck around 1:30 a.m. at a hotel near the Albuquerque International airport around Yale and Gibson SE. Albuquerque Police Department was also able to recover the truck and trailer housing the ballon, which were recovered around Unser in northwest Albuquerque. 

The baby bee is usually apart of a bee family trio with parents Joey and Lilly.

APD Chief Harold Medina tweeted about the quick recovery, explaining an iPad left in the vehicle by crew members helped police locate the vehicle and trailer. “Old-fashioned detective work led auto theft detectives to a neighborhood in SW Albuquerque,” he said. Medina also hash-tagged TheBeeIsBack about 10:58 a.m. 

Pilot Michel Glen from Mesa, Arizona, said Joelly will be in flight for Thursday night’s Glowdeo, reuniting with her bumblebee family.