MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Three suspects were arrested Monday after Miami-Dade police said a multi-jurisdictional investigation linked them to a series of robberies involving South Florida bank customers.
The investigation revealed that the suspects, who police identified as 25-year-old Amber Dyer, 19-year-old Virgil Lamonte Woodson and 18-year-old Marcel Rashad Johnson followed victims from various banks in South Florida and targeted them for their withdrawals back in June.
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The investigation uncovered six incidents with similar suspect descriptions and methods, according to police.
Authorities said the suspects would use rental vehicles and swap out license plates with stolen ones to evade detection.
Police said the suspects followed victims from various Bank of America, Chase and Wells Fargo locations. In two of those incidents, the victims were pistol-whipped and required medical attention.
Detectives identified Woodson as a suspect through a tip and began surveillance on him, according to a report.
Miami-Dade police said they saw Woodson driving a 2019 Nissan Altima with swapped license plates. They said he was seen in bank parking lots across south Miami-Dade with two accomplices on June 2.
Later that day, at around 6 p.m., a 66-year-old woman was targeted while returning from a Publix store near a Bank of America, police said.
As the victim attempted to get groceries from her vehicle, Johnson approached her, wrestled for her purse and fled the scene on foot.
Police said a “be on the lookout” alert was issued for Johnson and the black Nissan Altima.
Miami-Dade police said officers later located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop near the 5000 block of Southwest 116th Avenue, where they detained Woodson and Dyer.
While inspecting the vehicle, police said they found a green fluorescent shirt matching the description given by the victim.
Authorities said surveillance footage showed Johnson discarding the victim’s purse and several cards before the traffic stop. The victim later confirmed that the items tossed from the car belonged to her.
Police said Johnson and Woodson, after being read their Miranda rights, chose not to speak with detectives.
Dyer, however, waived her rights and provided a statement to police that was redacted in her arrest report.
Local 10 News has also requested Johnson’s arrest report from the MDPD.
Jail records show Dyer and Johnson are facing one count each of strong-armed robbery and conspiracy to commit strong-armed robbery. Johnson and Woodson are also facing a separate charge of battery on a person 65 years or older.