MIAMI (WSVN) - Police have arrested an alleged burglar who, they said, broke into and stole from several Miami businesses, including a medical clinic.
Lazaro Alfonso, 42, appeared before a judge in bond court on Thursday following his arrest.
According to City of Miami Police, Alfonso’s first alleged burglary happened at a medical clinic off West Flagler Street earlier this year. Surveillance video captured a man breaking in through the clinic’s front door.
Once inside the clinic, police said the 42-year-old stole laptops, supplies, medical equipment and medicine used to help sick patients during the coronavirus pandemic. The stolen items were valued at $25,000.
“This damage, it actually impacted everyone,” Q-Trial Clinic spokesperson Core Hernandez said. “On top of all like in this time period for COVID, that was medicine needed for patients who are going to be treated in the community.
Investigators said the alleged burglar struck again in June. This time, he was suspected of targeting a hardware store across the street from the clinic, where he would allegedly steal $2,000 in cash and $15,000 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets.
“Oh, wow, $4,350 of stolen lottery tickets,” Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer said.
Surveillance video captured a man breaking the hardware store’s glass front door and crawling inside. Once inside, police said he went straight for the store’s register.
“With the COVID and all of the patients we’ve been dealing with and everyone that we’ve been helping, this actually affected us, so if it affects us, it affects the community and everything we’ve been doing for them,” Hernandez said.
Police said the 42-year-old also broke into Millenium Wireless, a few blocks away from the clinic and hardware store, where he stole cellphones worth $6,000.
Alfonso faces charges that include burglary into an unoccupied structure, criminal mischief and grand theft.
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