N. Miami Beach Burglars Hit Home In Middle Of Day
NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (CBS4) – Police have released surveillance tape of a man who one victim said may have burglarized a number of homes in North Miami Beach.
One victim said he is brazen because he slowly walks up to his home in daylight and seems nonchalant as he takes his time trying to break into his home.
That victim, Antonio Ortega, told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that a week after this crime, his neighbor was victimized in the same way and Ortega believes it was the same suspect. Police are calling him the "gloved burglar."
"It hurt me real bad," Ortega said. "I mean I have never been robbed before like this and I hope it never happens again."
The crime happened between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on the morning of Thursday, October 6th of this year, Ortega said. Police are just now releasing the surveillance tape because Ortega says he was told they have exhausted all of their leads.
Ortega said he discovered the crime in progress at 11 a.m. when he came home for an early lunch. That's when he called 911.
He sid D'Oench that as he was opening the front door of his home in the 1700 block of Northeast 176th St.; he heard a loud noise as if someone had just run out of the back of his home.
Police said he "wisely" went to the end of his street and called 911. Police responded within two minutes.
They set up a perimeter with canine units, but the suspect had already fled.
"Yeah, I've been robbed right now," Ortega is heard saying on the 911 audio tape released by North Miami Beach Police. "I think he's inside the house, ah, I don't know. I saw the back door. You know, boom, just like that. I heard the back door, boom, from the back door. And I saw the window broken."
Ortega showed D'Oench how the suspect tried and failed to break in through two of his windows on the side of the house.
"They broke the windows from the outside," said Ortega, showing D'Oench some shattered glass. "But he couldn't get in. It was an impact window."
He said the suspect broke in through the front door.
In just ten minutes, Ortega said the suspect stole a laptop computer, his son's Playstation, a few hundred dollars in cash and up to $25,000 worth of jewelry, including gold chains and necklaces and a gold watch.
"I think he's 6 feet or six feet one or something," said Ortega. "I saw him looking over the fence, well over the top. I'd say he was over 160 to 170 pounds."
The surveillance tape showed the suspect walking up to the home and then trying to break the side windows.
"I'm upset because much of this jewelry has sentimental value," said Ortega.
Ortega said he has lived in the home for ten years and installed four security cameras about three-years-ago.
"I feel real bad," said Ortega. "It's something, that even my little boy watched the video and said Dad, look, that's the bad guy. I want to catch him real bad."
"What would that mean to catch him?" D'Oench asked.
"Well I want him to pay for everything. All of the damage. The insurance did not pay that much money, only about $300. And they took away 15 to 25 thousand dollars worth of jewelry," Ortega said.
He said he had some words for the suspect, adding "Please turn yourself in before they catch you."
Ortega said, "We went through the neighborhood and no one heard anything or saw anything. And a week later, the home behind us got burglarized in just the same way. I'm sure it was the same person."
Police told D'Oench they have no suspects and need the public's help.
Police ask that if you know anything about this crime to call Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
