Related videos:
Josmanny Alexis Valdez, a Cuban resident in Homestead, was arrested this Monday and faces over 20 felony charges after being linked to two series of thefts at a car dealership in the Kendall area of Miami-Dade, from which he stole expensive infotainment systems and caused thousands of dollars in damage, reported the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO).
According to arrest reports, 25-year-old Valdez is involved in two separate investigations for multiple thefts at the Kendall Dodge dealership, along with a second suspect identified as Celestino Ayala Jr., who is the same age and remains at large.
The first series of thefts was discovered on May 15, when the service manager of the business reported to the police the theft of 18 infotainment systems from Dodge Ram trucks — models 2019 to 2026 — belonging to 14 different customers.
The researchers indicated that Valdez and Ayala created a hole in the chain-link fence to enter the lot of used vehicles where customers' cars were kept while awaiting service, allowing them to access the Dodge Rams.
Once inside, the two men removed the infotainment systems from the trucks and "cut the bundle of wires" that connects the screen to each vehicle, causing permanent damage to them.
Each system had an estimated value of $5,314, while the damages caused to each vehicle amounted to approximately $1,087.
The detectives tracked the stolen items on Facebook Marketplace, where they found listings under the profiles "Gio Valdez," "Josmanny Valdes," and "Laylowjr Ayala," all featuring the same photographs.
On May 28, an undercover detective arranged the purchase of two of the systems for $500 in an "operation to buy and arrest." The suspects were observed removing the equipment from a blue Ford truck before heading to Dolphin Mall to finalize the transaction.
A subsequent search warrant executed on the vehicle confirmed the presence of additional screens and radio modules stolen from the dealership, and investigators gathered surveillance evidence showing that the suspects were in the area of the Dodge dealership on multiple dates.
A second arrest report links Valdez to additional thefts from vehicles at Rocco's Custom and Kendall Dodge, using the same method of entry and removal of parts.
In the first case, Valdez faces five charges of theft from an occupied vehicle, five for grand theft of more than $3,000 in collaboration with others, five for criminal damage exceeding $1,000, and one charge of robbery in an occupied dwelling. In the second case, he accumulates two additional charges for each of the first three offenses.
This Tuesday, Valdez remained in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with a bond set at $168,000. Several of his cases also have a Nebbia hold, a legal mechanism in Florida that requires the detainee to prove that the funds to post bail come from a legitimate source before being released.
Ayala remains at large. Authorities have urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
It is not the first time that Cubans residing in South Florida face accusations of thefts linked to car dealerships in Miami-Dade, a criminal trend that authorities have fought against with undercover operations in response to the rise of the illegal parts market on digital platforms.
Filed under: