Three Miami men have been charged in relation to a multi-state eyewear theft scheme, with losses reportedly exceeding $1 million in stolen merchandise from various Sunglass Hut locations. The suspects arrested are Alexander Trujillo Gomez, 48, Xavier Perez, 52, and Lazaro Salazar Hechavarria, 28, according to a report by NBC Miami.
The trio is facing hefty charges including burglary and theft of property valued at $250,000 and over. They are accused of a burglary at a Sunglass Hut on Sunday, where they allegedly lifted close to $285,000 worth of sunglasses and an additional $2,000 in cash. The men seem to have made a considerable effort to carefully coordinate their crimes across state lines.
Murfreesboro Police Department officers tracked down the three after connecting them to a Chrysler Pacifica minivan, which was rented in Miami and used in the thefts, as noted in a FOX 17 article. This link was crucial, leading authorities to uncover the broader scope of the criminal operation that included similar burglaries in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and various South Carolina locations.
Police took the trio into custody at a UPS store after the suspects tried to improperly ship three boxes of the stolen goods back to Florida. An alert from a license plate reader eventually directed authorities to their whereabouts—an instrumental piece of technology in their apprehension. The suspects have all been placed in a local jail, each with a bond set at $1 million, as confirmed by the NBC Miami report.
A future hearing for the charges against Salazar-Hechavarria, Trujillo-Gomez, and Perez has been scheduled for Feb. 13. Meanwhile, the investigation continues, potentially leading to additional charges in relation to other thefts in Tennessee and South Carolina.
