A car hopper caught on surveillance video grabbing door handles in a Southwest Miami-Dade neighborhood took off with valuables, including a cherished family heirloom, a resident said.
Speaking with 7News on Saturday, Southwest Miami-Dade resident Jennifer Alvarez said the burglar is striking fear in her neighbors.
“It touches our hearts, you know, that somebody just comes here, rummages through our neighborhood, terrorizing us and making us feel, you know, with anxiety. It’s just not right,” she said.
Alvarez’s nerves are on high alert after, she said, the subject stole from her son’s car late Thursday night.
Surveillance video from Southwest 229th Street, near 128th Avenue, shows a person wearing a hoodie, with their face covered, opening the car’s door and rummaging inside.
Alvarez said her son mistakenly left the door unlocked, and the thief got away with a laptop, her son’s emergency medical technician book, his class ring and something that’s one of a kind.
“A bracelet that’s an heirloom bracelet that was gifted to my son from his grandma, who passed away last year. It’s been in the family for 30 years,” said Alvarez.
The bracelet, which has the name Andy engraved on it, was supposed to go to the next generation, Alvarez said.
It’s the only thing this family wants back.
“It’s invaluable. It has no price, it’s irreplaceable. There’s not any way that we can get it back,” said Alvarez.
Even more concerning, Alvarez said, video from another surveillance camera shows the subject trying to get into her house through the back gate.
“Why is this happening in our neighborhood? You know, and it wasn’t only just me. It was that neighbor, the second-door neighbor, the neighbor in the front,” she said.
Security footage from multiple cameras shows the burglar trying to open other car doors and running through the neighborhood earlier this week.
Alvarez said this has been happening for days, leaving residents on edge.
She has message for the person responsible.
“There’s better things in life than just going around and stealing people’s things,” she said.
Alvarez filed a report with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and asked deputies to drive through her neighborhood. She also asked anyone who comes across the bracelet to turn it in.
If you have any information on this burglary or the subject’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.