A couple of Cubans who were wanted for an armed robbery in which nearly two million dollars worth of jewelry and gold were stolen from a store in Nashville, Tennessee, were apprehended at a hotel in Miami Beach this weekend.
The police reported that the arrested individuals, Milleni García (38 years old) and Orlando Valdés Hernández (34), share an address on Quail Roost Drive in the unincorporated area of South Miami Heights, in Miami-Dade County.
According to the police, on October 23, Milleni García and Orlando Valdés entered Dubai Jewelry, located in a shopping center in southeast Nashville. There, they began asking for jewelry just minutes before pulling out firearms, threatening the employees, and ultimately stealing a large amount of gold and other valuable items.
The couple—who had the assistance of a third person who has not been apprehended—managed to steal gold and valuables totaling $1.7 million.
Local media reported that during the robbery, the thieves used pepper spray and pushed the store employees into a back room. After committing the theft, they fled the scene.
The officers located the Cubans on October 27, four days after the theft, at the Grand Beach Hotel, a four-star hotel located at 4835 Collins Avenue in Mid-Beach.
According to WKRN, during the operation the police recovered jewelry, cash, and a blonde wig.
The authorities stated that the discovery was the result of "extensive investigation and collaboration efforts" between the Miami Beach Police Department and the Metropolitan Police Department of Nashville.
Since Monday morning, García and Valdés Hernández have been detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK), awaiting extradition to Tennessee.
The man is facing charges of aggravated kidnapping with the use of a weapon and aggravated theft. Judge Mindy S. Glazer denied him bail.
Milleni García, for her part, faces charges of theft, theft with the use of a tool for force, and facilitating kidnapping with aggravating factors such as possession and/or use of a weapon.
"We managed to get two very dangerous individuals off the street; our undercover police officers spotted them, and we arrested them," said Christopher Bess, spokesperson for the Miami Beach police.
The Metropolitan Police Department of Nashville continues to search for the third suspect, who has not yet been identified.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
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