A Cuban resident of Miami has been incarcerated after being apprehended for stealing a vehicle with two small children inside, in the northwest area of Miami-Dade. The incident occurred on January 22 at around 4:39 p.m. and was captured on nearby surveillance cameras, according to the police.
Jorge Richar Casola Martínez, aged 19, was taken into custody this Monday and is facing two charges of kidnapping, one for second-degree grand theft, and another for grand theft of a vehicle, as per the Miami-Dade County jail records cited by NBC6 South Florida.
Officers from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office reported that the theft happened when the mother of the children, aged two and six, parked her SUV on Northwest 50th Street near 71st Avenue. She entered a business to deliver 175 iPhones, valued at more than $77,000. The woman left the SUV running outside, with the two young ones in the back seat and a box containing the phones.
Surveillance footage shows the moment she enters the business through a corridor, with her white 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander out of the camera's view. Seconds later, a silver Hyundai Palisade pulls up on the street, and a hooded individual exits from the back door and rushes towards the SUV. The vehicle speeds away, with the stolen car following close behind.
After approximately 12 minutes, the SUV was discovered abandoned at the intersection of Northwest 47th Street and Northwest 74th Avenue, with both children unharmed. However, the box with the iPhones was missing.
According to the arrest report, the woman had collected the 175 iPhones from a business on Northwest 68th Street and was supposed to deliver them at the location where Casola Martínez stole the vehicle. The car that the Cuban man arrived in was previously seen outside the business where the woman picked up the phones, near her SUV. Police indicated that the suspect followed her to the delivery site.
Investigators were able to identify the Palisade's license plate from surveillance footage, discovering that the car was rented and subsequently tracing it to the suspect. The vehicle had been rented by a man named José Yoan Ledoux Rodríguez but was paid for with Casola Martínez's credit card, as reported by a Miami news portal.
Authorities tracked the car's GPS, placing it at the scene of the theft. Additionally, another video showed Casola Martínez wearing the same clothing as the suspect captured on camera.
On Tuesday, Casola Martínez appeared in Miami-Dade bond court, where a judge ordered him to remain detained without bail due to the kidnapping charges.
Key Details on the Miami Vehicle Theft Case
What charges is Jorge Richar Casola Martínez facing?
Casola Martínez is facing charges for two counts of kidnapping, one for second-degree grand theft, and another for grand theft of a vehicle.
How did the police identify the suspect?
Police identified the suspect by tracing the license plate of the rented Hyundai Palisade seen in surveillance footage and using GPS tracking, as well as matching clothing seen on video.
Were the children harmed during the theft?
No, the two children were found safe and unharmed in the abandoned SUV shortly after the theft.