SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of appliances and valuables from a Southwest Miami-Dade home that was being renovated, according to the homeowner.
Raul Bejel was emotional as he showed the damage caused by crooks who broke into his home, in the area of Southwest 48th Terrace and 92nd Avenue, early Wednesday morning.
“They took my daughter’s violin,” Bejel said. “She’s been playing violin for years now. That kind of stuff is what bothers me the most.”
Bejel said the crooks stole more than $15,000 worth of home appliances and valuables. The homeowner added the home was being renovated at the time of the break-in, but thankfully, the family was not home at the time.
“They basically broke in through that window, and this thing, they literally ripped it off,” he said. “They cut the gas line right off.”
The homeowner also said the thieves reentered the house hours after they had left by prying open a window. Once inside, Bejel said the crooks grabbed the three most expensive items in the house from the kitchen.
“They took a brand new refrigerator,” he said. “Everything still had the wrapping on it — gas stove, the dishwashing machine. Then, they walked right out the front door. They took the door off the hinges, and they walked everything right out.”
The crooks then targeted the children’s bedrooms, which Bejel said was like a punch to the gut.
“What bothers me most is my kids’ clothes,” he said. “They actually took my kids’ clothing from their closets, so now, it’s heartbreaking. It really is.”
A similar break-in happened last week to a Northwest Miami-Dade man, whose home was also ransacked by two crooks while it was being renovated.
“All of my new appliances, all my toilets, my plumbing fixtures, everything was just here in the living room waiting to be installed,” he said.
Bejel said since renovations at the home began, crooks have been stealing from the family, but nothing like what happened Wednesday morning.
Still, he said nothing will keep his family from moving into their dream home.
“We bought this house because it’s on a lake, and the kids enjoy it,” Bejel said. “It’s like summer camp here in the summer with all the kids that live in the lake, so nobody is going to take that joy of enjoying the house from us, so yeah, we’ll move in, for sure.”
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 reward of up to $5,000.
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