A Hialeah man is facing grand theft charges after police said he was caught with multiple stolen iPhones at the Sunfest music festival in West Palm Beach Friday night.
Jose De la Caridad Garcia Montelongo, 27, was arrested by West Palm Beach Police officers after they started receiving reports of cellphones being stolen at the festival.
Witnesses had seen people wearing backpacks zig-zagging their way through the crowd stealing the phones, police said.
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A sergeant was standing near an exit when she saw a man who matched the suspect description try to evade her, officials said.
Another officer saw the man, later identified as Garcia Montelongo, drop three phones on the ground, officials said.
When officers interviewed Garcia Montelongo, he admitted he tried to get rid of the phones when he saw police because “it would not look good and the police would think he stole them," officials said.
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The value of the stolen phones that were recovered is around $3,800.
Garcia Montelongo was booked into the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office Main Detention Center early Saturday morning where he faces one count of grand theft. His bond was set at $4,500.
The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests and charges are pending, police said..
A special missing/stolen cellphone hotline has been setup and being staffed throughout Sunfest operating hours. Anyone missing a phone from the event should call 561-822-1909.
