Crime

Two Arrested in South Florida Safe Heist

CrimeDec 12, 2023

Two Arrested in South Florida Safe Heist

There have been five similar crimes reported in the region recently, said the Jewelers’ Security Alliance.

Police cars and crime scene tape
Miami-Dade County police officers have arrested two men accused of breaking into a jewelry store and stealing its safe. The Jewelers’ Security Alliance noted five other recent similar cases in South Florida.
Miami—Police in Miami-Dade County have arrested two men in connection with a Dec. 4 jewelry store robbery that involved a steel cable and a stolen tow truck.

The suspects entered the store, C4G Jewelers, by making a hole in the wall of a neighboring building and dismantling the jeweler’s alarm system, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance said in a recent alert.

“It looks like they brought a device to cut off the signals,” Adrianna Prieto of C4G Jewelers, told Local 10 News in an interview.

After ransacking the store, the thieves attached a hook and a steel cable to the store’s safe and pulled it through the front door using a stolen tow truck, JSA said.

The owner of the tow truck had a GPS device installed on the vehicle and alerted the police to its location.

When police arrived at the location on Dec. 5, a warehouse near Hialeah Gardens, they saw the truck backing into a garage.

Four men ran, but police apprehended and arrested two of them, Ariel Hernandez and Michel Avila Delanuez, who was taken to a local hospital, according to JSA.

In an Instagram post, C4G Jewelers said, “During challenging moments, the true measure of support and loyalty shines brightest. Familia, we sincerely appreciate your presence and unwavering support during these difficult times.”

There have been five other recent similar cases in South Florida in which thieves have used flatbed or tow trucks to remove, or try to remove, safes from jewelry stores, said JSA.

The store owners have valued the safe contents at around $1 million. Local reports did not disclose whether or not the safe has been found.

Anyone with information about any of the South Florida safe cases is encouraged to contact JSA at 212-687-0328 or jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org, or call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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