Authorities have disclosed further information regarding a high-profile luxury sunglasses theft that resulted in the apprehension of three men in Miami. The suspects, identified as Xavier Pérez, age 52, Lázaro Yansel Salazar, age 27, and Alexander Trujillo Gómez, age 48, a resident of Hialeah, are accused of stealing over 3,500 pairs of sunglasses from high-end brands like Ray-Ban, Prada, and Gucci. The stolen items are valued at over one million dollars.
The luxury eyewear was reportedly taken from Sunglass Hut stores located in Tennessee and South Carolina and subsequently mailed to Miami. The investigation commenced when a Miami police officer, working alongside the Department of Homeland Security, came across a news report about the suspects' arrests. This led to the discovery that the stolen sunglasses were being sent via courier services to an address in the Flagami area of Miami.
"We received information that these sunglasses, being stolen in other states, were being mailed - through UPS - to a location in Miami," stated Manny Morales, Miami's Chief of Police, as reported by Telemundo 51. Although the initial search at this location did not yield the sunglasses, authorities managed to contact an individual linked to the suspects. This person, when presented with evidence, surrendered the stolen goods. Ultimately, detectives retrieved the sunglasses at a different site in Miami.
"They thought that by going to another state, they wouldn't be recognized," Morales disclosed.
Cooperation Across States Leads to Arrest
The arrests were made possible through collaborative efforts involving the Criminal Analysis Division (CAD) of the Murfreesboro Police Department, license plate recognition (LPR) technology, and police departments from Smyrna (SPD), Henderson (HVPD), and Goodlettsville in Tennessee. Crime data analysts from the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) of the Memphis Police played a pivotal role in tracking the suspects' movements. They pinpointed a 2022 Pacifica minivan, rented in Miami, as the vehicle used in the thefts, which was spotted in Goodlettsville on Wednesday, January 29.
The trio now faces charges for theft of property valued over $250,000, as well as charges of burglary and vandalism. The Cuban nationals are also suspected of committing similar thefts at Sunglass Hut locations in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and in Gaffney and Beaufort, South Carolina.
Authorities are urging anyone with additional information on this case to contact the Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers hotline.
Key Details on the Sunglasses Heist
How were the suspects tracked down?
The suspects were tracked using collaboration between multiple police departments, data analysis, and license plate recognition technology, which identified their rental vehicle.
What brands were involved in the theft?
The theft involved luxury brands such as Ray-Ban, Prada, and Gucci.
Where were the sunglasses stolen from?
The sunglasses were stolen from Sunglass Hut stores in Tennessee and South Carolina.