NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Police announced multiple recent arrests made in a string of “violent” carjackings throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties Friday.
North Miami Beach police held a news conference, saying they’ve made a number of arrests involving a “ring” of suspects.
Officials displayed mug shots of seven suspects described by North Miami Beach police Chief Harvette Smith as “dangerous and notorious serial robbers.”
Smith said multiple law enforcement agencies, including the North Miami, Miami-Dade, Miami and Hollywood police departments joined in the operation, along with the U.S. Secret Service.
“We were able to recover numerous guns, victims’ properties, stolen vehicles and burglary tools,” Smith said. “This group of individuals have confessed to committing three armed carjackings, five armed robberies, five auto thefts and at least 18 vehicle burglaries.”
Two of the teenagers had already been arrested last week in connection to an armed carjacking of an Uber driver in North Miami Beach that ended in a crash and police firing gunshots in Sunny Isles Beach.
Smith said they also committed an aggravated battery on 68-year-old Elaine Gowen Thursday.
Gowen, who spoke to Local 10 News, said she was having a cigarette at around 4 a.m. in North Miami Beach when the crooks took her phone and beat her.
“I want to thank the police for catching them quickly,” Gowen said.
Smith said the ring was “terrorizing our communities.”
Smith said the investigation continued Friday and there may be additional arrests forthcoming.
Police identified six of the seven pictured suspects Friday:
- Derrick Austrie, 16, of northwest Miami-Dade
- Joewens Bissianthe, 16, of North Miami
- Jarmane Bradwell, 16, of Miami
- Rogens Joseph, 18, of Miami
- Orlentz Nelson, 16, of North Miami
- Ryan Sterlin, 18, of northwest Miami-Dade
Police said they would release more details, including arrest reports for the suspects, later Friday morning.