SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A daring burglary shook a jewelry store in Southwest Miami-Dade after criminals executed a carefully orchestrated heist, leaving the store in chaos and the owner grappling with substantial losses.
The incident took place at Ernie & The Cat Jewelry at 7249 Coral Way, Monday morning.
The store owner, who asked to remain anonymous, was left in shock after receiving an early morning phone call.
“That’s about it, they took everything. They took everything inside the case,” he said.
The contents of several display cases were entirely wiped out, along with the disappearance of two large safes.
The endeavor appeared to be meticulously planned and executed.
The culprits entered through the roof of a neighboring business and disabled the security system. With that approach, the owner said they were able to infiltrate the jewelry store.
“They were here for, I would say for 2 to 3 hours at least, so they worked from the inside out,” the owner said.
The thieves managed to breach the store’s back wall, with interior surveillance cameras capturing every detail of the operation.
“[The video] caught two individuals. Latin, dark-skinned,” the store owner revealed.
Although the footage, according to the owner, shows a white van used in the heist, the owner has chosen to temporarily withhold this evidence.
The staggering loss of around one million dollars worth of merchandise was the outcome of this heist, impacting both the store’s assets and consigned items.
“You have to pay people that give you some merchandise, I have to pay them back,” he said. “It’s going to be hard for me to do it, but I’m going to do it.”
Tragically, none of the stolen jewelry was insured, adding to the agony of the already devastating incident.
“It’s painful for my family, for me, the people that I owe money to,” said the owner. “It’s painful.”
If you have any information on this crime, 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 $10,000.
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