Mother, son plead guilty in robbery of gold jewelry worth $750,000 in Hialeah
MIAMI – A mother and son from Naples have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an armed robbery of $750,000 worth of gold jewelry and beating the business owner in Hialeah in 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.
Julian Flores, 25, and Lourdes Diaz, 56, entered pleas separately, and they face a maximum life in prison. U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian has not scheduled sentencing hearings in the Southern District of Florida case.
Business owner Eunice Sanchez spoke with CBS News after that incident at 7751 W. 28th Ave. was caught on camera.
"I am happy that they were arrested," she said. "Police did their job and I hope this does not happen to anyone else. The woman came here to the salon and planned with her son to rob me. Her son assaulted me with a firearm. I was going to my car and he came close to me with a firearm because I would not give him my bag I was holding on to and he assaulted me."
Sanchez was taken to Palmetto Hospital.
About 1,300 pieces were taken and ultimately recovered.
"This mother and son duo planned this crime months ahead of time and orchestrated it where the mother befriended the victim," Hialeah police spokeswoman Scarlett Hernandez said after the arrest. "In the video, you see the vehicle taking off with Julian Flores with a bag full of jewelry fleeing the scene. We checked and found they have no criminal history. In my 10 years I have never seen a mother and son in such a calculated crime that was vicious. Fortunately we have recovered all of the jewelry."
How the robbery occurred
On Sept. 16, 2023, Sanchez was loading a suitcase of jewelry into a vehicle in a commercial parking lot in Hialeah. Diaz backed up a white SUV rental from a nearby parking spot, and Flores hopped out of the back seat, garbed in black clothing and a ski mask, prosecutors said.
While brandishing a revolver in his gloved hand, Flores rushed at the victim, grabbed the suitcase and attempted to rip it away from the victim, according to DOJ.
As the victim held onto the suitcase, Flores struck the victim's body several time with revolver, DOJ said.
The victim continued to grasp the suitcase, yelled out for help. Flores fired off a shot from the revolver toward the ground, gained control of the suitcase, and hopped back into the white SUV rental, DOJ said.
Diaz drove away with Flores.
On Oct. 2, 2023, law enforcement located Flores and took him into custody. Flores was wearing gold jewelry from the victim's collection.
After Flores was arrested, Diaz concealed a black safe containing the victim's jewelry inside the residence of one of Flores's close associates.
The next day, Diaz was arrested near that residence. Using a search warrant, authorities recovered the black safe, which contained the remainder of the gold jewelry stolen from the victim.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian accepted Diaz's guilty plea to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.
On Tuesday, Flores entered his guilty plea as to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and discharging a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The Hobbs Act, which was enacted in 1951, prohibits actual or attempted robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce.
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hialeah Police Department investigated this case.
"This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone," DOJ said in a news release.
