CBS4 Exclusive: Surveillance Tape Released After Thieves Steal $1.2 Million Worth Of Jewelry, Rolex Watches

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - South Miami police are asking for the public's help after they say thieves broke into a home recently and stole $1.2 million worth of jewelry and Rolex watches.

New surveillance tape obtained exclusively by CBS4's Peter D'Oench shows a man wearing a hoody and gloves prying open a panel at the home at 9:30 on the night of July 2nd in order to shut down the power at the house at S.W. 67th Ave. and 68th Terrace.

It happened before it was burglarized sometime between July 3rd and 4th.

"It appears they were professionals," said South Miami Police detective Fernando Bosch. "They preplanned this. They knew the victims were out of town. They cased the home for a while to make sure nobody was home. They entered through a rear sliding glass door and they ransacked the home. The surveillance shows a white male with a hoody who disconnects the power to the house before the crime."

Carmen, who is a watch collector and who is one of the victims, did not want to reveal her last name or show all of her face, but she wanted to speak out about the crime.

She said, "I think they basically shut down my electricity and waited more than 24 hours and came into my home during the long weekend of July 4th. What else can you do? I have an alarm and gates."

"They took a number of watches that are known including a Richard Neil Arm 11 with a green bracelet and one I just acquired the week before that was Daytona Rainbow Rolex worth $300,000. I do not have insurance. I had them in a vault that is 3000 pounds that I have had for more than 10 years. I never had a problem before. No one came into my house. I thought I was safe."

Carmen said "This is an invasion of our privacy. We had a lot of heirlooms that were given by my grandmother and that makes them more valuable than the watches. They have sentimental value. Now we are liked scared that someone can walk into your home and you don't know what time and when and how."

"If you are going out of town for a long weekend or on vacation, don't post on Instagram or Facebook," she said. "I did unfortunately and that was a mistake."

Detective Bosch said that is an important lesson.

"If you are going to be on vacation, don't post anything like that on social media because there are people out there going through that social media and if they find out this person's on vacation they can get there very quickly," said Bosch.

It's not known how Carmen was targetted and if the thieves knew that she had a vault.

It's not the first time criminals have struck Carmen's home.

As seen in another CBS4 story in February of 2014, police say some men who were paid $700 to clean the home's marble floors were captured on surveillance tape stealing valuable items from the home. Those men were arrested and charged with grand theft. Police say that incident was not connected to this latest crime.

Police fear the thieves in this latest incident may strike again.

Anyone who can help find them should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).