Florida burglary suspect stalked victim's social media, disabled cameras to pull off high-end heist: MCSO
PALM CITY, Fla. - A man accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property from a home in Florida may be a member of a larger Cuban burglary ring, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
What we know:
Detectives say Darel Monza Guerra, 35, of Lehigh Acres, has been arrested in connection with a burglary that was targeted and planned.
According to MCSO, the burglary took place last month in the Cobblestone/Stuart West community of Palm City.
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Detectives said Guerra was dropped off near the community, gained access to the guarded community and walked directly to the targeted home.
Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff's Office.
They believed Guerra was monitoring the victim's social media account and knew the family’s whereabouts.
Once Guerra reached the home, deputies say he cut the power and disabled the security cameras, allowing him to spend hours inside the residence undetected. Deputies said he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in property—almost without a trace.
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The suspect then stole the victim’s vehicle, leaving it abandoned nearby, according to MCSO.
Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Detectives said Guerra was possibly coming back to retrieve the vehicle, but before that could happen, a concerned citizen noticed the abandoned vehicle and called the sheriff’s office.
The owner was notified and requested that the sheriff's office check the home.
Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff's Office.
MCSO worked with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Miami Police Department to identify and track Guerra as the suspect.
While executing a search warrant at Guerra’s home, authorities said they found evidence related to the crime.
Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Guerra was taken into custody and booked into the Martin County Jail with a bond set at $1.2M.
He has been charged with residential burglary.
What we don't know:
It is unclear why authorities believe Guerra is part of a larger Cuban burglary ring.
The Source: This story was written with information from the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
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