MONROE COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office apprehended two individuals after responding to a Cudjoe Key residential burglary.
The suspects, Stif Robert Benitez, 28, and Derek Gonzalez, 27, were taken into custody following an incident that involved the theft of firearms and jewelry, with an estimated value of $2,000.
Gonzalez faces charges of tampering with evidence and accessory to burglary, while Benitez is charged with burglary and tampering with evidence. The Sheriff’s Office acted promptly, recovering the stolen items during the arrest.
The burglary unfolded on Blackbeard Lane around 5 p.m. Monday, with the victim witnessing a masked suspect fleeing with a lockbox in a Toyota SUV.
Police said the victim was able to provide the vehicle tag number and security footage. The men were then stopped in the vehicle on U.S. 1 in Marathon, Florida.
The recovered lockbox contained a gold ring, four handguns, and ammunition.
Both suspects are now in custody.
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