A Cuban woman and her son pleaded guilty this week to armed robbery of the owner of a nail salon in Hialeah, stealing a suitcase of jewelry that contained approximately 1,300 pieces valued at $750,000.
The incident, which was captured by a security camera, occurred in September 2023 near Champagne Nails at 7751 West 28th Avenue in Hialeah.
Cubans Lourdes Díaz (56 years old) and Julián Flores (25), residents of Naples, were accused of armed robbery and could face a possible sentence of up to life in prison. However, in the agreement with the prosecution, a reduced sentence of 150 months was recommended for the young man, according to court records cited by Telemundo 51.
Modus operandi
For over a month, Lourdes Díaz frequented the establishment, where she gained the victim's trust and became “friends” with her—Yunet Sánchez, also Cuban—asking her many questions about the merchandise but never purchasing anything.
On September 16 of last year, the victim was leaving the establishment with a briefcase containing jewelry when Julián Flores approached him, dressed in black, wearing a balaclava, and carrying a firearm.
At that moment, a struggle ensued, and Flores struck the victim in the head with the weapon, then fired a shot into the air, causing the woman, fearing for her life, to drop the suitcase with the jewelry.
Julián Flores and his mother—who was waiting for him in a vehicle—immediately fled the scene in a Chevrolet Equinox SUV. However, part of the armed robbery was captured on video by the security cameras at the location.
After the robbery, Lourdes Díaz contacted the victim by phone to let her know that she had heard about the incident and was available to offer any kind of assistance.
The investigators were able to determine that the license plate of the SUV had previously belonged to a Ford SUV that was near the scene of the robbery in the days leading up to it. The Ford SUV had been rented by Díaz at an agency in Miami Airport.
Additionally, a post by Julián Flores on social media boasting about the jewelry he had stolen helped the police locate the young man and subsequently his mother.
The police were able to locate the suspect through her cell phone and apprehend her in the street. At the time of the arrest, they found two bags of jewelry that matched what the victim had in her briefcase.
After the arrest, the police recovered almost 90% of the jewelry.
Lourdes Díaz and Julián Flores had no criminal record, but Judge Mindy S. Glazer ruled that they would remain in custody without bail.
The hearings to award the sentence could take place as early as February 2025.
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