Cops Respond To Home Invasion, Find 50 Pounds Of Pot
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HIALEAH (CBSMiami) -- Three men are in custody after a home invasion at a Hialeah home that also ended up having more than 50 pounds of pot inside.
Hialeah Police said around 7 a.m. on Thursday, Lazaro Espinosa, the owner of the home, located at 1750 West 62nd Street, went outside to feed his birds.
That's when Jorge Valdes, 30, and Fernando Fernandez, 27, wearing masks and bulletproof vests, went up to him and identified themselves as police, authorities said.
Officers said the two men forced Espinosa back into his home where they held him and his wife at gunpoint.
Police said the men then started beating up Espinosa while demanding money. They then went to his wife and asked her if anyone else was in the home. She said no.
Meantime, their 16-year old daughter was calling police.
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"From a frantic 16-year old girl, locked in the bathroom of her home, telling us that there are armed men inside her house, robbing her parents at gunpoint," said Hialeah Police Det. Carl Zogby.
Hialeah Police released the 911 call in which you hear the daughter frantically begging for help to come.
"There's two robbers in my house. They have guns. Please, please, please come," said the daughter.
At one point during the call, you hear yelling in the background and her voice drops. The operator then tells her to hide herself and put herself in the bathroom.
"Please come fast. They're going to kill my parents. Please," she plead over the phone, sounding as though she is crying. Meantime the operator tries to keep her on the line and calm her down.
"Are they here? Please tell me they're here," said the daughter while crying. "They're going to kill my parents."
Shortly after, you hear the girl saying "mami" and you hear the mother say, "That's it my love," as the girl cried and yelled, "where is my father" repeatedly.
A SWAT team, that happened to be in the area, had responded to the scene. They were able to catch up with the two men who were trying to get away, throwing away bullet proof vests, badges and holsters, among other things along the way.
One neighbor, Mayda Martinez, said she saw them tossing wads of cash.
"He dropped the money in front of my apartment so all the money is over there on the floor," said Martinez.
Police later learned their motive. Inside the home, officers found more than 50 pounds of pot and growing materials.
"They targeted this home because the father actually had an illegal narcotics operation in the house and they felt that there would be cash and things of value," said Zogby.
Fernandez and Valdez are facing robbery, battery and police impersonation charges.
Espinosa was also taken away by police and has been charged with Cannabis Trafficking. His wife and daughter are not facing charges at this time.
Florida Power and Light was also called to the home to disable a rigged set up where huge amounts of power was being stolen to power the operation.
