Two men were arrested by the Medley Police Department in connection with a mail theft investigation. The arrests followed a report from a business owner last Monday, who notified authorities after recognizing a suspect from a prior theft at the same location. One of the suspects, 36-year-old Yoel Ampudia Hernandez, was apprehended while attempting to break into a mailbox at a warehouse at 7855 NW 77th Ave, according to a Local 10 report.
NBC Miami reported that the suspects fled in a white commercial van, which officers later found stopped in traffic near Northwest 72nd Avenue. The driver, 41-year-old Duniel Mederos Veliz, was in possession of a beer and had a Beretta 9 mm within reach.
When officers signaled him to stop, Veliz applied the brakes but did not immediately yield, and was stopped shortly afterward. A show-up identification confirmed Ampudia Hernandez as the suspect in a previous theft in the same area days earlier. The Medley Police Department apprehended both individuals during the incident.
The business owner positively identified Ampudia Hernandez as the suspect. Ampudia faces charges including burglary of an occupied dwelling, while Mederos is charged with armed burglary. Both were held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where their bonds were to be determined, Local 10 reported.
Surveillance footage showed Ampudia Hernandez forcibly opening a mailbox and taking mail. Officers recovered the suspects’ tools and the firearm during their arrest. The case highlights the efforts of local law enforcement in responding to mail theft and related offenses.
