Miami detectives say a 34-year-old man turned a nondescript Model City address into a full-blown chop shop, and now he is staring down a mountain of charges. Police arrested the suspect on June 18 and say he now faces 77 counts spread across four newly filed criminal cases, after officers walked into a commercial property on NW 7th Avenue that was crammed with engines, dashboards and dozens of airbags apparently staged for sale or distribution. He was booked into the Metrowest Detention Center while the investigation continued.
According to Local 10, detectives identified the suspect as 34-year-old Diego Ceden, who also goes by Diego Cedenflorimon, and arrested him at 6807 NW 7th Ave. Investigators described rooms “filled floor-to-ceiling with Honda vehicle parts wrapped in black plastic” and reported finding a blue 2025 Honda CR-V cut into several large sections, a white CR-V shell that had been sliced apart, 56 airbags, eight catalytic converters, body panels, hoods and engines allegedly stolen from vehicles across South Florida. Detectives also say they recovered a bag containing the suspect’s U.S. passport, car keys, Honda CR-V titles and records tied to FG Auto Sales.
What the law says
Florida law specifically criminalizes operating a “chop shop,” treating ownership or operation of such a site as a felony. State statute defines a chop shop as any place where stolen vehicles or major component parts are altered, dismantled or concealed. Under the Florida statutes, owning, operating or helping run a chop shop can be charged as a third-degree felony, carrying possible prison time, restitution and forfeiture. Prosecutors say the new counts against the defendant include dozens of charges linked to stolen airbags, catalytic converters, grand theft auto and dealing in stolen property.
Site and evidence
The arrest location at 6807 NW 7th Ave, in the Model City/Liberty City area, is listed in public records as a small commercial parcel and is described in real estate databases as a 2,950-square-foot building. Public property data helps frame the low-slung, industrial strip where detectives say the parts were stored; a property report is available via PropertyShark. Detectives said some of the engines and assemblies they seized matched theft reports filed in Miami-Dade, Broward and other jurisdictions.
What's next
Miami-Dade prosecutors filed three new criminal cases against the defendant on June 20 and another on June 19, according to court records cited by Local 10. Judges have been assigned to the matters, and the case remains very much active as detectives keep working to match the recovered parts to a growing list of reported vehicle thefts across the region.
