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José Guim, a 45-year-old Cuban resident of Miami, was arrested this Wednesday as the second suspect in the theft of approximately 100,000 dollars in jewelry and other valuables, committed on March 14th in a home in western Miami-Dade, according to police reports.
Guim is facing charges of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and grand theft in the second degree, the same charges that apply to his accomplice, Pedro Luis Díaz Castro, a 52-year-old Cuban arrested last Sunday, according to reports from Local 10 News.
The most revealing element of the case is Guim's betrayal: according to the report of his arrest, he was a friend and employee of the victim.
He admitted that on March 12, two days before the robbery, he conspired with Díaz Castro, provided him with the address of the residence -located on the 2200 block of Southwest 153rd Path- and informed him that the victim would be on a cruise trip with his family from March 13 to March 16.
Guim also handed his accomplice the crowbar they used to force the back entrance of the house, and they agreed that he would receive 20% of the loot obtained.
According to the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office (MDSO), both jumped over a security fence outside the residence, opened the electrical panel, and cut the power to disable the alarm and security cameras before proceeding.
They then pried open the guest bathroom door at the back of the property and ransacked the master bedroom, taking watches, jewelry, perfumes, cash, suitcases, and other items.
Both fled through the main door after the robbery, which occurred shortly after 3:00 a.m.
Guim was located this Wednesday at block 1300 of Northeast 205th Terrace and, when questioned, provided verbal and written statements implicating him in the robbery.
As of Thursday morning, he remained detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK) with bail to be determined, according to a report from Local 10 News. Guim also faces a charge for possession of crystal methamphetamine in a prior case.
Díaz Castro, for his part, was arrested on Sunday and also provided the police with verbal and written statements implicating him in the theft. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a firearm that had been reported stolen in Lee County, which was ultimately seized at the Hammocks police station of the MDSO.
He remains in custody without bail at the Metrowest Detention Center due to a hold by immigration authorities and a court order related to another pending case. The Cuban citizen has previous felony convictions, which exacerbates his charge of illegal possession of a firearm.
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