SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida homeowner is speaking out after, police said, crooks broke into her house through a back door and got away with thousands of dollars in personal items.
Miami-Dade Police are now searching for the person or persons who broke into the residence, located along the 8400 block of Southwest 114th Street, Monday afternoon.
Homeowner Koren McKnight said the perpetrators took about $80,000 in jewelry, designer bags and even her cat’s ashes, which were in a locket.
“A gap where they had stolen here, a gap here where they had stolen from,” she said. “They took many Louis Vuitton handbags.”
McKnight’s daughter, Betsy Bettsworth, made the discovery. She said she left the house just before 2 p.m., and when she returned around 3 p.m., she found a smashed sliding glass door.
“It’s right here,” she said as she showed 7News the smashed back door. “That’s where my mom keeps all of her fur coats and all of her really expensive stuff.”
The homeowner is an antique collector and has a lot of valuables in her house. She said the thieves took everything with a well-known label but bypassed a huge stash of valuable dolls, furniture and collectibles.
The victims believe that someone who knows them and the home are behind this burglary. “Almost like they had been to this house before, and they were aware of what we keep here,” McKnight said.
McKnight said that while police are doing their investigation, she’s already started her own, as some of those valuables were gifts from family members that can’t be replaced. “I have the money to investigate this to the fullest, and the time, too, and I will not leave any leaf unturned,” she said.
If you have any information on this burglary, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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