MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A victim is speaking out after would-be burglars tried and failed to steal some pricey rides in Miami Beach.
“We were so terrified immediately because of the time of day that it happened,” the victim, who did not wish to be identified, said.
She told 7News her four young children could’ve easily run into a group of men who tried breaking into their luxury cars in the middle of the afternoon, Wednesday.
“My husband and I live here with our four young kids so at any time we were running in and out to pick up either or drop off the kids,” she said. “Today, thank God, they were in school at that time.”
The family’s neighbors alerted them of the attempted theft near the 3400 block of Chase Avenue, which led to them checking their security system.
The footage obtained exclusively by 7News captured a trio of men wearing hoods and masks running onto their property before trying to force their way into the parked vehicles.
What left her family shaken the most was the boldness these burglars displayed at doing this in the middle of the day.
“This has never happened before in broad daylight. This is the first time,” she said.
She went on to say that on any given day, this could’ve happened when she made a quick stop at her home.
“During lunchtime, I could’ve been coming in or out with my kids,” she said.
After having her family’s sense of security in their own home violated, she’s stepping forward to warn others to be vigilant.
“They were sneaking, crouching down,” she said.
The crooks didn’t stop with attempted crimes at her home.
As the group arrives in a maroon Tesla, two of them head over to the Mercedes Maybach and the white Lincoln, while the third thief scurried over to a neighboring home.
The family from that home also provided surveillance footage of that failed burglary attempt.
“They’re trying to check if the doors can unlock,” the victim said.
Fortunately, as the trio of attempted car crooks found out, each of the vehicles’ doors were locked, leading to the thieves giving up and retreating to the Tesla to flee the area.
In recent years, 7News has covered several luxury car burglaries on the beach.
Among those was a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen in 2025, which featured a similar method displayed by these individuals: thieves showing up in their own expensive vehicles checking for unlocked doors to luxury cars.
The latest plot was seemingly foiled by just keeping the vehicles locked, which Miami Beach Police say “highlights the importance of a simple but effective crime prevention measure the Miami Beach Police Department has consistently encouraged: locking your vehicle doors. In this case, that precaution prevented the burglary.”
“Our detectives are taking this incident seriously and actively working to hold those responsible accountable,” Miami Beach Police spokesperson Christopher Bess continued in a statement shared with 7News.
While the pricey theft was stopped, it doesn’t reassure this family, who are just relieved that nothing worse happened.
“It’s very scary to think of what could’ve happened. If my kids were outside at the same time,” the victim said.
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 $5,000.
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