Police are searching for two men who are suspected of committing an armed robbery at an Aventura grocery store Thursday evening.
At about 9 p.m. when employees were closing the Fresh Market, located at 18295 Biscayne Boulevard, and two men forced their way inside the store. It is alleged that one man was carrying a shotgun and another was carrying a knife.
They took the cash register and an unknown amount of cash from the back office before they fled.
Police are investigating the robbery and they are still trying to find the two subjects. No one was injured during the incident.
Armed robbery with a firearm is a life felony. It is also a non-bondable offense. Since it is alleged that one man carried the firearm, the other suspected robber can still be charged with armed robbery with a firearm since he is considered a principal to the offense.
Also, under Florida's 10-20-Life law, there is a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence for armed robbery with a firearm.
It is unclear whether the suspects were captured on video surveillance, although it is likely since most grocery stores have video surveillance systems.
Aside from possible video surveillance, it has not yet been reported as to what kind of evidence has been collected. If the suspects were not wearing masks, it is possible that the witnesses have helped police create a description of the suspects. The police may then use these descriptions to compare them to photos of known offenders. Then the police may create a six-photo lineup, or "six pack.". The witnesses will be asked to examine the six photos and determine if any of the six photos depict one of the suspects.
Based on eyewitness identification, police can arrest. It is then up to a criminal defense attorney to show that the eyewitness identification is unreliable.
If a loved one is facing armed robbery charges in Miami-Dade or Broward, call me.