Deputies say a carefully planned, middle-of-the-night hit on a West Miami-Dade home ended with a six-figure haul in luxury goods and one suspect in handcuffs nearly two weeks later.
According to investigators, 52-year-old Pedro Luis Diaz-Castro is accused of teaming up with an accomplice to swipe roughly $100,000 worth of watches, jewelry, cologne, cash, suitcases and other valuables from a gated home in the early hours of March 14. After a two-week investigation, Diaz-Castro was arrested on March 29 and is now facing multiple felony charges tied to the break-in.
Deputies say the pair jumped a security gate, cracked open the electrical panel and cut power to the home so the alarm system and cameras went dark. From there, they allegedly pried open a guest bathroom door with a crowbar, ransacked the master bedroom and then walked out the front door with the loot. The total value of the missing items is estimated at about $100,000, according to Local 10. Authorities say they are still searching for the second person believed to be involved.
Anyone with information about the alleged accomplice is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
Where He Is Being Held
After his arrest, Diaz-Castro was booked into the county system and, as of Monday afternoon, was being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Turner Guilford Knight serves as one of Miami-Dade’s main detention and intake facilities, and the county court provides online tools for checking who is in custody and reviewing booking details. The public jail roster and inmate search are maintained by the Miami-Dade County Court, a resource frequently used by family members and reporters.
Arrest Details And Alleged Evidence
Deputies say they tracked Diaz-Castro to the 9900 block of Southwest Eighth Street, where he was taken into custody. According to the arrest report, he gave both verbal and written statements that investigators say tied him to the March 14 burglary.
Detectives also say that at the time of his arrest, Diaz-Castro had a gun on him that had previously been reported stolen out of Lee County. That firearm has been impounded at the Miami-Dade Hammocks station. Records show Diaz-Castro was convicted of a felony in 2019 and is facing other pending cases that include armed robbery, aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of methamphetamine, according to Local 10.
What The Charges Could Mean
Under Florida law, burglary is defined and classified by factors such as whether a weapon was involved or how much damage was done to the property. Depending on the circumstances, it can be charged as a first or second degree felony. The state outlines the various levels and possible penalties in Fla. Stat. § 810.02.
Florida law also bars convicted felons from possessing firearms. That prohibition is laid out in Fla. Stat. § 790.23, which generally classifies possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as a second degree felony and allows for increased penalties when guns are used in violent crimes.
The investigation remains active, and detectives say they are still working to identify the second person allegedly involved in the West Miami-Dade burglary. Anyone with tips can contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 or reach out to the Hammocks station, where the seized firearm is being held, for additional information.
