MIAMI – Miami police arrested a man Monday after they said he was caught on surveillance footage breaking into multiple cars in a parking garage in the city’s Coconut Grove neighborhood and managing to enter an apartment through an air conditioning vent.
William Craig Dawson, 37, faced five felony burglary charges as well as misdemeanor criminal mischief and resisting arrest charges.
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According to an arrest report from the Miami Police Department, CCTV footage from the Platform 3750 apartment building, located at 3750 S. Dixie Highway, showed Dawson breaking into three vehicles. It also showed him prying open an A/C unit door and damaging the vent to gain access to a unit.
The report states security officers were chasing Dawson through the building’s stairwell when officers arrived.
Police said Dawson exited the building as a responding officer pulled up. The report states the officer got out of his cruiser and told Dawson to stop — but instead Dawson dropped a black suitcase and continued running.
Dawson ran to his home on Oak Avenue, about 600 feet away from the building, and officers were able to get him to come out, police said.
According to the report, officers later went through the luggage and found multiple burglary tools, including a hammer and a pair of pliers.
Police said Dawson, who smashed the driver’s side windows of each vehicle, caused about $500 worth of damage in total, but said it wasn’t clear what items he may have taken from the cars.
Police took Dawson to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $27,500 bond related to this case, plus a $16,500 total bond relating to two other burglary cases.