SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A trailer full of expensive equipment has been stolen from a firefighter’s Southwest Miami-Dade home while he was out working to keep the community safe.
The burglar, who police have identified as 35-year-old serial thief Aldo Charafardin, was caught on camera breaking into the firefighter’s backyard and making off with the trailer in the neighborhood around Southwest 133rd Avenue, at around 5 p.m., Nov. 22.
Charafardin was arrested and charged with grand theft, burglary and mischief, Tuesday.
“He had to know with certainty that I wasn’t coming home,” said Miami-Dade firefighter James Oliver III.
Oliver said he was on the job when his 28-foot, $10,000 trailer in his backyard was broken into, hitched and hauled away on a Sunday afternoon.
“You can tell this wasn’t his first rodeo,” he said.
Surveillance footage captured Charafardin donning an effective costume: hard hat, workwear and pickup truck. He even asked a neighbor for water as if he’s doing a legitimate contracting job.
And the professional tools he broke out only made him seem more credible.
He compromised the gate with a saw, gained entry and backed his pickup into the trailer that contained thousands of dollars of prized possessions.
Oliver had expensive tools stolen from that trailer, materials needed for some of his favorite things outside of fighting fires: building and racing vintage cars.
Drag racing is Oliver’s way of blowing off steam, even if it means occasionally dealing with fires in his off time. Fires tend to happen in drag racing more than some people think.
But his connection to family is what this firefighter loves the most about his hobby.
Oliver said he’s part of three generations of car builders and racers.
“It’s enviable sometimes just the connection between my uncles and my grandfather, making him proud that his grandson’s now racing and working on cars, like, every child’s dreams,” he said.
Building on that dream has stalled, with his goods still missing.
Oliver said police have made an arrest and found his customized firefighter’s license plate in the subject’s possession. He said the stolen property is not insured, and getting back in the car-building game will cost him.
“My one joy to keep calm amidst this pandemic, the racing and building my car, and to have that stolen from me, it’s very frustrating,” Oliver said.
Oliver said he had to rebuild his gate.
Police said they found the alleged crook with the license plate belonging to Oliver, but they didn’t find the trailer.
Charafardin is now sitting behind bars at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
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