MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Authorities didn’t take long to track down the assailants behind a high-priced heist at a Miami-Dade jewelry store.
Police arrested 37-year old Ariel Hernandez Tuesday on burglary and grand theft charges, and his alleged accomplice, Michel Avila Delanuez, has also been booked on similar charges but is being treated at Palmetto General Hospital following their sudden takedown.
Police believe the men were involved in the major heist of a jewelry store that was caught on video in northwest Miami-Dade on Monday.
The thieves carved a hole through a neighboring business and dismantled the security alarm system.
“It looks like they brought a device to cut off the signals,” Adrianna Prieto, of C4G Jewelers, told Local 10 News.
From there, the bandits ransacked the room and set their target on a safe with roughly $1 million worth of valuables inside, store owners said.
The crooks used a hook and a steel cable from a stolen tow truck that was parked right out front to latch onto the large safe, and after some maneuvering, they yanked the safe right through the front door before speeding away.
Employees spent much of the day repairing the damage and cleaning up the mess, but were met with a bit of good news.
The owner of the tow truck had GPS and tipped off police that the vehicle was in Hialeah Gardens near a warehouse. As officers arrived, they saw the truck backing into a garage.
Four men ran, but officers were able to nab two of the individuals.
Anyone with information on the remaining suspects is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.