Who would of thought running a “tequila lounge” with your family would get you in the midst of a tech mystery.  Well that is exactly what is happening to Jose Valle, owner of Cava 22, once reports came out that a prototype of the yet-to-be-released iPhone 5 was left at his bar.

Supposedly someone left behind the coveted one-of-a-kind phone after a night of tequila tosses.  That unidentified person, assumed to be an Apple employee that is unless you believe the skeptics who says its all a publicity hoax, then called Jose repeatedly in late July asking about a lost phone.  He never was able to locate it and some reports say the lost phone ended up for sale on Craigslist.

At this point according to CNET, Apple became involved and started investigating and brought in the authorities.  However, Jose Valle who is now the media darling of the technology blogs, claims no one has come to ask him about the phone.  Mysterious isn’t it. 

Was there ever a phone?  Was it the iPhone 5 prototype?  Is this a publicity stunt by Apple to create buzz for a potential fall release?  Is this a tequila teaser by Jose trying to create buzz for his bar? 

Adding to the buzz is that a very similar incident happened around the iPhone 4 when a prototype was stolen out of another California bar right before the phone was officially released.  CNET who is leading the media charge on this story claims it has a “source familiar with the investigation” that says all this did indeed happen.

Jose Valle, who by the way is not to be confused with Jose Valle general manager of Los Angeles Univision Radio, thinks he needs to start watering down his drinks.  When asked why he thought all this was happening and why the iPhone 5 disappeared in his bar – he simply stated: “ I guess I have to make my drinks a little less strong.”