PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – In this case, the robber didn’t demand money, gold or jewelry.
The man who broke into a home inside a lakefront gated community in Pembroke Pines overnight wanted food and internet for his family.
Police say a resident in the Encantada community on SW 190th Avenue was sleeping around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday when he heard a strange noise. He woke up and found a man in his house who demanded food and internet — a desperate plea amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The robber threatened to hurt the victim if he called police and wound up ransacking the house, stealing various items before he fled, police say.
“I feel pretty scared, actually,” says Roberto Masson, another homeowner in the Encantada community. “We live in a gated community and we have security, so we should be, you know, a safe neighborhood.”
Police didn’t say exactly how the robber got into the home, but their search by helicopter and with K-9s turned up empty. Cops are urging residents to remain vigilant while they continue to search for the suspect, a man believed to be in his 20s.
If you have any information on his identity or whereabouts, call Broward Crimestoppers at 954-493-8477.