UM sports stars Carson Beck and Hanna Cavinder targeted in luxury car heist
Thieves stole three luxury vehicles Wednesday overnight in Southwest Miami-Dade, including a Lamborghini Urus, in what authorities called a coordinated heist targeting a University of Miami sports power couple Carson Beck and Hanna Cavinder.
Beck, a UM quarterback, and Cavinder, a basketball player, were among those whose high-end rides - a Lamborghini, a Land Rover and a Mercedes-Benz - were stolen, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said.
Neighbor Doris Lenel recounted hearing the news. "I heard that a couple of cars got stolen and I was surprised that it was a quarterback, I think, from the University of Miami," she said.
The Mercedes-Benz was recovered at a nearby apartment complex, and the Land Rover was found not far from the scene. Authorities noted that it is not uncommon for stolen vehicles to be located near the point of the theft.
Suspected organized theft ring
Retired Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Major Ignacio Alvarez, who was not involved in the investigation, said the method of the heist points to an organized theft ring.
"They usually park the vehicles and let them sit for a couple of days. If the cars get picked up, you know they had a targeting device. If they don't, then you just come back, grab them and move on," Alvarez said.
"I find it strange that you get three cars taken at the same time. That tells me that this was something organized—either using three tow trucks or a team of six to 10 people," he added.
Alvarez noted that this incident is the latest in a series of high-profile thefts targeting sports celebrities.
"We've seen similar cases with NFL and NBA players, and with social media making personal information readily available, these organized crimes are finding it easier to target individuals," he said.
The FBI is investigating similar cases nationwide, though it is not yet clear if this case is connected to any others.
