DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have arrested three men who were caught on camera stealing expensive electronics in Doral.
Doral Police detectives placed empty boxes in the trunk of a black SUV as bait during a sting operation, at the Miami International Mall off Northwest 107th Avenue, Wednesday evening.
“Most people wake up, they have breakfast, drop the kids off at school and they go to work,” Doral Police spokesperson Rey Valdes said. “They do the same thing, only this is their work. This is their job. They’re organized burglars.”
Police said the robbers began their day Wednesday at US Technology, along the 1900 block of Northwest 87th Avenue, in Doral.
“We watched them watch us, not knowing that ‘us’ was an undercover female officer,” Valdes said. “They targeted her not realizing that she was a police officer.”
Surveillance video released by Doral Police showed one of the suspects, identified as 22-year-old Lazaro Arias-Suarez, breaking into the trunk of the SUV.
He’s then seen placing items in the back of a white sedan before getting into the passenger side and speeding off.
“You can see that when he lifts the second box, he immediately throws it down because he realizes it was empty,” Valdes said.
The trunk remained open as the suspect and getaway driver fled.
An undercover officer is then seen racing to catch up to the car.
“We have to come up with innovative ways to try and stay ahead of crooks,” Valdes said. “Remember, these people wake up and all they do is think, night and day, how they’re gonna get their next scheme.”
A short time later, officers arrested Jose Luis Gomez Tamayo, Marcel Iglesias Medina and Arias-Suarez without incident.
Ricardo Conde said one of his clients was ripped off the same way a few weeks ago.
“I’m super glad that they caught them,” Conde said. “They break into the van that they have, and they took all his merchandise.”
All three face burglary, theft and criminal mischief charges.
Two of the three burglars appeared in bond court, Thursday.
Police are investigating whether if the trio could be responsible for other thefts in the area.
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