Hialeah Air Conditioner Theft Caught On Tape
In Hialeah, surveillance cameras have allegedly captured the thefts of several air conditioning units.
Hialeah Police said the three suspects, spent as much as two hours cutting open the protective cages that housed air conditioning units for several businesses. The suspects allegely made off with several units from a strip mall off West 20th Avenue and 58th Street. Some of the businesses that lost their units include a Domino's Pizza, an international transfer business and an optical store.
If arrested, the suspects could be charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure and
grand theft. The burglary charge would normally not be present since the alleged thefts occurred in a public shopping center. However, since the thefts reportedly occurred after business hours, the shopping center was likely closed, therefore not open to the public. Since the suspects did not have the right to enter the shopping center, any crime that occurs on the premises could be charged as a burglary.
The grand theft charge will be sustained regardless due to the value of the units.
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney serving Miami-Dade and Broward. If you or a loved are facing burglary charges in Miami-Dade or Broward, call me.