Victims Speak Out As Surveillance Captures Serial Burglar In Action
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miami police detectives are seeking the public's help in identifying a man caught on video breaking into homes.
Police say the suspect is a serial burglar, accused of hitting at least three homes in the Miami area. CBS4 has obtained surveillance tape of all three of those crimes.
Two of the victims tell CBS4 that remarkably and coincidentally, they have each been victimized four different times.
The subject's last burglary occurred on June 3, at noon in the 800 block of Northwest 18th Place, police said.
The victim in that case who lives near Marlins Park did not want to show all of her face but she told CBS4'S Peter D'Oench that she had actually been burglarized four times since 2016. While she does not know if the same man victimized her all four times, she hopes police can capture the man seen on the surveillance tape.
"I am very scared," she said. "It's been so many times and it even happened once when my kids were home alone when my 18-year-old daughter was with them. I am scared. I need time to move from my neighborhood and try to find somewhere else to go but I don't know what to. I would like to see captured. I would like to see him stop what he is doing.
I would like to say to the public let's find him so he can pay for what he is doing. I would feel relief and safety in my home."
The suspect is also wanted for a burglary that occurred on June 29 at a home in the 3600 block of Southwest 5th Terrace, according to police.
That happened between 1000 a.m. and 3 p.m. CBS4 was not able to speak with that victim because neighbors said she is on vacation outside the U.S.
"We worry this could escalate to a violent situation, so we need to get this man off the street," said Miami police officer and spokesman Mike Vega. "He is very brazen. We call him the knocking burglar because he knocks on the door of all of his victims. He takes his time and his spends 5 to 10 minutes at least in each home that he breaks into."
"We have someone who doesn't care about what time of day it and he doesn't care about the location as he commits burglaries miles away from each other," said Vega. "We needs to get this serial burglar off the street. If he keeps on doing this what if he arms himself inside a house that does have a firearm inside it. He seems careless. He is casual about just walking around the homes."
The suspect was captured on video surveillance cameras jumping over a wood fence. He is also seen prying open security iron bars.
Finally, video images capture the man leaving with a bag of items and fleeing in a grey or silver SUV.
In the second burglary, the same man is seen on surveillance video knocking on the door and then burglarizing the home.
Police said the suspect got away with about $1,000 worth of jewelry and cash.
The third burglary was on November 22 of last year and occurred in the 900 block of Southwest 12th Avenue.
The victim in that case, Rey MUR, told D'Oench that he had also been burglarized four times in recent months. He too is not sure if the same suspect victimized him.
Mur said, "He stole from me and he stole my property. It is incredible to come home and find that you have been burglarized. It is a horrible thing. He got inside my home and stole chains, jewelry and watches and a bunch of stuff, IPads. And two times he got inside my truck and stole items."
Police describe the suspect as having a slim built, approximately 5'6" to 5'09 feet tall, 45-65 years old, weighing approximately 160 to 180 pounds.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Miami Police Department's Burglary Unit at (305) 603-6030 Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471- TIPS (8477).
