Miami Beach Police Nab Alleged Burglar & Possible Cop Impersonator
MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) - Miami Beach Police say they have arrested a career criminal who is accused of burglary and possible police impersonation.
Yusdel Fernandez was arrested and charged with Burglary to an Unoccupied Dwelling.
Police say Fernandez entered a home on the 1200 block of West 63rd Street while it was being tented for pest fumigation.
Once inside, police say, Fernandez cut a hole in the homeowner's safe and stole roughly $300,000 in jewelry.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives tracked Fernandez to the Seybold Building in Downtown Miami, where he was allegedly seen on surveillance video selling various jewelry pieces to be melted down.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Fernandez's home, where they say they found numerous pieces of jewelry, some of which were identified by the burglary victim as belonging to her.
Police say they also found a black "POLICE "shirt, a gold badge and two black ski masks.
Charges could be added if investigators determine that Fernandez did present himself as a member of law enforcement.
"The arrest of Yusdel Fernandez takes a hardened criminal off the streets of Miami Beach," said Chief Raymond A. Martinez. "Our community is safer today thanks to the great police work by the detectives in the Miami Beach Criminal Investigations Unit."
Police say Fernandez has a long history of offenses with with arrests for, auto theft, vehicle burglary, residential burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of narcotics, loitering and prowling and possession of a concealed firearm.
