Three men were arrested by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO) accused of breaking into a home in the southwest part of the county and stealing over $359,400 in cash from the master bedroom.
The accused are Pablo Arrechavaleta, 49 years old; Leonel Alejandro Ramírez, 47; and Antonio Mesa, 47. The robbery occurred shortly after 1:00 pm on Tuesday at a residence located near the intersection of Southwest 157th Avenue and Southwest 181st Terrace, in the southwest of the county.
According to the arrest report accessed by Local 10, the three individuals jumped over a concrete fence and entered the backyard, where they attempted to force a window but were unsuccessful.
They eventually entered the property through a rear French door using a screwdriver, causing approximately $1,000 in damages.
Inside the home, there was a 14-year-old teenager at the time of the robbery.
Once inside, the suspects "ransacked the master bedroom on the second floor" and "stole a total of $359,400 USD" before fleeing the scene, according to the official report.
The authorities responded immediately: a MDSO helicopter was deployed and followed the suspects as they fled the house and boarded a four-door SUV driven by Arrechavaleta.
The agents managed to intercept the vehicle shortly after it left the property and arrested the three men without incident.
After being evaluated medically, Arrechavaleta and Mesa gave verbal and written statements in which they admitted their involvement in the events. Ramírez, for his part, chose not to answer questions from the authorities.
The three defendants face multiple charges for serious crimes, including burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft, and property damage. Additionally, Mesa and Ramírez have been charged with possession of tools for committing burglaries.
According to reports from NBC Miami, the three appeared before a judge this Wednesday and will remain detained without bail.
On the other hand, Arrecha-Valeta and Ramírez also have immigration hold orders.
This case adds to a series of high-value residential burglaries recently reported in the west and southwest areas of Miami-Dade.
In March, two Cubans were arrested for stealing around $100,000 in jewelry, watches, and cash from a home in that same area of the county.
In July, another man was accused of stealing $33,000 in cash, jewelry, and televisions from the home of an elderly person in Miami-Dade.
Despite a 28.85% decrease in home burglary incidents in the county in 2024 compared to the previous year, cases of organized and high-value thefts continue to occur in the area, according to official county data.
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