It happened at around 5 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19. The suspect can be seen arriving at the location, backing up into a parking spot in front of the premises and kicking in the glass door.
A brazen thief was caught on video in southwest Miami-Dade loading up a trash can with more than $15,000 worth of perfumes and making multiple trips from the store to his car with the stolen goods.
It happened at around 5 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19. The suspect can be seen arriving at the location, backing up into a parking spot in front of the premises and kicking in the glass door.
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WATCH HEREAt first glance, the images from security cameras appear innocent, like they may just show a janitor dragging an empty trash can down one of the aisles in front of the shop, called Perfumería Arabe y Más or Perfumería Kanam.
But the cameras also caught the moments before and after, which show a man smashing the door of the shop on 83rd Avenue and SW 8th Street, loading up a trash can with fragrances and dragging it to his car.
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“He had the nerve to go up to the second floor… empty a trash can, bring it down, fill it with perfume, and throw it in the car,” owner Josue Quintana told our sister station Telemundo 51. Twice.
“He even took perfumes that were on display, cash as a matter of fact which we don’t ever leave cash in the store to avoid problems… products that were going straight to clients that were boxes that were packed, he took too,” Quintana said. “He literally emptied the store–half the store he emptied.”
The suspect even appeared to take the garbage cans.
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“A person who does this so brazenly, in front of Calle Ocho, with so much traffic, I imagine is a person who’s willing to do anything,” Quintana said. “We have two small children, one of whom, as a matter of fact, is a newborn. We are trying to get by, and a hit like this could make any business close."
Quintana said his phone was on silent, and he was not alerted when his security system and motion sensors went off. It was other people who worked in the shopping plaza who told him what had happened.
Now, Quintana is just hoping authorities can catch the thief.
"We have the footage, we have the license plates, but till now, we don't have the person, we don't have the things they stole from us. Who can help us with this if not police? We know they're going to do it... but we need speed," Quintana said.
His neighboring business owners are worried that their locations could be targeted next.
That's why Quintana is asking anyone who may have seen anything to reach out to Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers at (305) 471-TIPS or (305) 471-8477.
