COCONUT GROVE, FLA. (WSVN) - An overnight string of vehicle burglaries targeted nearly two dozen vehicles at a City of Miami Fire Rescue station in Coconut Grove.
According to City of Miami Police, two guns were stolen from vehicles parked at City of Miami Fire Station No. 8 while crews were either out on a call or sleeping.
“Amongst the items, we have two firearms that have come up missing,” City of Miami Police spokesperson Kenia Fallat said. “When they woke up, they found that their personal vehicles had been broken into. Some glass windows were broken, and a lot of their belongings were gone.”
The break-ins occurred between midnight and 5 a.m. along the 2900 block of Oak Avenue, Thursday morning. Of the nearly two dozen cars that were broken into, 14 of them belonged to first responders.
A similar scene happened around the corner at an apartment complex on Virginia Street.
Erik Dellacatena found his Chrysler Crossfire, which was parked inside of his gated complex, with a shattered window.
“This is how I found the car, with the glove compartment open,” Dellacatena said. “It’s interesting that so many vehicles were able to be hit in an area when there’s a curfew — seems very bold.”
He hopes whoever is responsible for the break-in is someone who is in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
“That’s the best case scenario,” Dellacatena said. “The worst case scenario is that they are just [expletive] breaking into people’s cars for the fun of it. They didn’t get anything fortunately.”
Mara Perdomo did not expect to be taping up the broken window on her Volvo SUV Thursday night. She said she noticed the broken window when she woke up.
“Everything was a mess,” she said. “I saw the car, and there was a lot of little pieces everywhere, and inside the car, everything was messy. I’m thinking that the people that did this, maybe they really need something, and maybe they’re suffering, so I cannot judge.”
Perdomo said she’s glad nothing of serious value was taken from her vehicle.
“We never leave valuables in the car,” she said.
Investigators spent hours dusting for prints at both scenes, and they are searching the area for surveillance cameras that may have caught the thieves at work.
Dellacatena said he still has so many questions as to why these vehicles were targeted.
“Why did they target that area in particular? What made them feel confident enough to actually go at a government facility — which is a fire station? Didn’t they think that maybe that was dangerous?” he asked.
“It’s disheartening to see that these men and women are at work, and when they wake up, their personal belongings had been stolen,” Fallat said.
Many of the first responders spent the first half of the day vacuuming glass out of their vehicles.
If you have any information about these vehicle burglaries, 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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