Exclusive: Surveillance Tape Captures Possible Serial Burglars In South Miami
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – South Miami Police say new surveillance tape shows some young suspects who may be serial burglars and were arrested after an alert homeowner called 911.
The tape obtained exclusively by CBS4's Peter D'Oench shows an alarming image: two males wearing backpacks and darting through a home that they have broken into just before 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
"From this residence they took $40,000 worth of jewelry," said South Miami Police Sgt. Edgar Bartra. "They were looking for electronics, iPads and jewelry. We were able to recover $40,000 worth of jewelry belonging to the victim."
Bartra said the victim saw the video after receiving an alert from her surveillance tape system about movement in her house. She rushed home, saw the suspects running away, called 911 and followed them. South Miami Police set up a perimeter and captured them a few blocks away where they were hiding in a backyard near SW 59th Street and 62nd Terrace.
Both suspects, 18-year-old Marquis Keeyon Jones and 17-year-old Jamail Amazar, were charged with burglary and resisting arrest without violence.
Police say bond for Jones was set at $14,500 and Amazar was released in to the custody of his mother.
Jones' uncle, Johnny Jones, told D'Oench that he was surprised by the charges.
"I never ever knew him to do anything like that, nothing like that," he said. "He had a job at a store. He's a real nice kid, always saying 'yes sir, no sir.' He said 'yes mam, no mam.' He was just hanging out with the wrong crew."
But Police said Jones and Amazar may be serial burglars.
Sgt. Bartra said, "We did have three to four other burglaries in the area. It is believed those individuals are involved though at this time there is no evidence it is them."
Police said records show both Jones and Amazar had dropped out of high school and live near each other in South Miami.
"It surprises me," said Johnny Jones. "I want to apologize to the people whose houses were broken into."
Detectives said Jones and Amazar broke a window to get into the victim's house.
CBS4 also spoke to one of the other three homeowners who were victimized on Monday afternoon. One victim named Tina, who chose to not reveal her last name, said her home was broken into after the criminals smashed a window and ransacked her bedroom.
"They went straight to the bedroom and ransacked the entire bedroom and before that they took an Apple computer and an iPad and jewelry from under the bed," said Tina. "I was in shock at first and then after two hours it turned to anger."
Tina and police are grateful that Jones and Amazar were arrested.
Sgt. Bartra said, "We felt we did a good job, most importantly for the community and the residents of South Miami."
"It brings me some comfort if it is them," said Tina. "It is great though it does not get my stuff back. So you know this is just upsetting that this happened in our neighborhood. We have been here 21 years and this has never happened before."
Police say the burglars seemed both nonchalant and experienced and may have committed other burglaries before the latest rash of crimes.
Anyone who thinks that they or their neighbors may have been victimized by Jones and Amazar should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
