COOPER CITY, Fla. – A man was arrested Tuesday after police found a stolen gun, cocaine, hundreds of stolen cellphones and passports following a raid of a home that he rented in Cooper City, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Police said John Ladino Baquero, 39, is facing charges of theft of a firearm, fraudulently obtaining property worth more than $50,000, dealing in stolen property and cocaine possession.
According to an arrest report, a search warrant was activated at Ladino Baquero’s rental home near the 8200 block of Cascada Isle Drive.
During the search, several items were recovered including hundreds of cellphones, journals with information of the stolen phones and a Ruger Max-9 pistol that was reported stolen out of Palm Beach County, according to the report.
Police said they also found a small bag of cocaine in Ladino Baquero’s wallet during the search.
Ladino Baquero appeared in court Wednesday where a Broward County judge found him probable for all four counts.
Following the raid, authorities obtained surveillance video showing SWAT officers and police arriving at the scene to arrest him.
Neighbors told Local 10 News that they were startled by what police say was happening in their own neighborhood.
“There was cops and cars everywhere,” said Lucy Leighton, a neighbor.
According to state prosecutors, authorities found possession of hundreds of stolen cellphones and said that it appears Landino Baquero’s intent was to sell them for profit.
Investigators said they also found separate passports belonging to Ladino Baquero, which had his photo, but each passport had a different name.
Police said Ladino Baquero “engaged in a scheme or operation by fraud or misrepresentation where he obtained property of over $100,000 from five or more victims.”
Prosecutors said Ladino Baquero has an open misdemeanor case in Broward County from 2021 in which he allegedly stole five cellphones from victims at a Fort Lauderdale nightclub.
“I guess you never know who is living next door to you,” said Nadine Leonard, who lives nearby. “We don’t need that kind of people in our community.”
A judge held Ladino Baquero on a $32,000 bond and required him to go through a Nebbia hearing, which means that the judge wants to make sure his bail money isn’t coming from stolen merchandise.
The judge also ordered him to surrender any passports in his possession.
