SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police are searching for the armed thieves who were caught on camera ransacking a Southwest Miami-Dade home and then making their getaway in the homeowner’s vehicle.
The family who lives at the burglarized house in the area of the Hammocks, along the 119th block of Southwest 184th Street, were on vacation when the intruders broke in, Saturday, during the early morning hours.
“I was starting to travel, so we had cameras installed, and unfortunately, when we traveled to the Keys, we were there for the weekend and this happened,” said homeowner Daniel Leon.
While on the vacation, they decided to check their surveillance camera on their phone, and that’s when they saw the two unknown men inside their home. According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, the crooks stole a car and over $81,000 in property.
Video surveillance captured two suspects making their way into the residence through a window. “This camera was when we saw them go through the window,” Leon said. “They jumped through the back, and then they walked this way all the way to the window.”
A surveillance camera inside also caught the scene as one of the suspects pointed a firearm toward the bedrooms. “Pointing guns out, which that’s what basically frightens the family and friends and everybody in the neighborhood,” Leon said.
The duo spent over an hour taking items from the house. They were even able to find the keys to the family’s Honda and grabbed a 600-pound safe and stuffed it into the vehicle before taking off. They attempted to take another safe but failed to do so.
Once the crooks realized they were on camera, Leon said they tried to cover their tracks. “They thought that this was the DVR for the cameras, so they started cutting all the cables,” Leon said. “They took the DVR, but that was an extra DVR we had.”
The family said they are grateful that they were not home at the time of the incident. “We were able to grab it on footage, but that’s also a two-way street. Now you have the footage, which now scares people because now you know what happened inside your home,” the homeowner said, “so one thing is coming and seeing the house all scattered and thinking what may have happened.”
The SUV was recovered hours later, just a couple blocks away, in an alley.
Anyone with information regarding this burglary is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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