Iván Cárdenas, a Cuban resident in Miami, reported on Facebook the theft of his Yamaha R6 just one week after he purchased it, while the vehicle was parked on the fifth floor of the parking garage of his own condominium.
"Just a week ago, I fulfilled one of my dreams and bought my Yamaha R6... and yesterday it was stolen from the parking lot of my own condominium," Cárdenas wrote in his post, which quickly spread among the city's motorcycling community.
The robbery occurred at noon while he was working. When he returned in the afternoon for his usual walk, he found the space empty.
The building's cameras —reportedly a gated community with controlled access— captured everything: a vehicle arrived with two people, one of whom got out wearing a full-face helmet, carrying a screwdriver and additional equipment, started the motorcycle, and drove away without anyone intervening.
“A vehicle arrived at noon with two people. One of them got out wearing a full-face helmet, holding a screwdriver and a tool he had in his hand. They seem to be professionals in theft,” Cárdenas recounted in the video.
The police arrived that same night, but they were unable to access the recordings because there was no staff in the condominium office, which, according to Cárdenas, gave the thieves more time to get away.
The next day, the agents reviewed the cameras, and the case was placed under investigation.
After speaking with neighbors, Cárdenas learned that in that same building there had already been thefts of cars and bicycles in Miami and that the gates remain open practically all day.
What makes the situation particularly painful is the symbolic meaning of the motorcycle for this Cuban.
In a previous post, Cárdenas wrote: "I come from a place where having a Carpati was already a dream… where seeing a TS pass by was like witnessing something impossible. And today, it’s not just a sports motorcycle; it's proof that it is indeed possible to move forward."
Now, in addition to having lost that symbol of achievement, he is still obligated to pay the bank financing for the stolen vehicle.
"Although I no longer have the motorcycle, I still have to keep paying for it to the bank. And these people have left a very big hole for me," he admitted, visibly affected.
This case is not isolated. In March 2025, a Cuban couple was arrested in Miami accused of stealing motorcycles from residential buildings in Miami-Dade for approximately two years, using a method of operation very similar to that described by Cárdenas.
South Florida has a "very high" risk classification for motorcycle theft, with over 500 units stolen annually just in the Miami metropolitan area, according to the specialized index Riders-Share.
It is not the first time that a young Cuban loses his motorcycle in Miami after considerable effort to acquire it, nor that Cubans ask for help to identify motorcycle thieves through social media.
Cárdenas asked anyone who sees a 2016 blue and gray Yamaha R6 that looks suspicious in Miami, Marketplace or OfferUp to reach out to him, and issued a direct warning to all motorcyclists: "Gentlemen, don't trust even condos, don't trust anything. GPS, AirTag, chains, locks, covers... any extra security can make a difference."
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