Wynwood, Miami, became the site of a violent confrontation this past weekend as two men were arrested in connection with the armed robbery of Rolex watches, according to the authorities. Yeuris Baez, 28, and Victor Yariel Polanco, 23, were nabbed by Miami police on Monday on a mix of charges including armed robbery and aggravated battery, sourced from arrest reports noted by NBC Miami. The incident unfolded in the early hours of Sunday in Wynwood's Northwest 23rd Street, where victims recounted a harrowing tale of being attacked in their vehicle.
During the crime, one of the victims was subjected to a brutal pistol-whipping, receiving more than 10 blows to the head, resulting a laceration and bruising. "He stated that one of the offenders put him in a headlock and pistol-whipped him continuously for approximately two minutes, causing him to lose consciousness," Miami police detailed in a report quoted by Local 10. The second man, sensing danger, had discarded his watch under a seat before the thieves approached, but was still threatened and attacked until he lost consciousness.
The suspects' getaway involved a black BMW and a black Range Rover, with the latter sporting a New York license plate and purportedly used to disrupt the traffic during the robbery. Surveillance footage captured both the preparation and the execution of the crime, also showing Baez in clothes matching a witness's description of one of the robbers. Police later recovered the Range Rover with two Rolexes inside, including one confirmed by serial number to belong to a victim, as was reported by NBC Miami.
Baez and Polanco, hailing from Paterson, New Jersey, and Norwalk, Connecticut, respectively, were taken into custody. A woman, who had been at the driver's seat during the incident, told police one of the suspects had a Dominican accent—a characteristic noted in Baez's arrest report. Police added that the suspects were located and arrested in Sunny Isles Beach, with Baez denying involvement in the robbery and claiming the watches belonged to him and his wife. Both of the accused now face serious felony charges as they await their day in court, shackled by the consequences of their alleged brazen act against the people of Miami.
