Miami men charged in over $1M multi-state sunglass theft, and more arrests possible

Police believe further charges could be made after three Miami males were taken into custody in relation to a multi-state crime ring that involved over $1 million worth of stolen sunglasses. The 3,500 designer sunglasses valued at at least $1.2 million that were seized during the investigation were displayed by Miami Police on Tuesday. According to authorities, the eyewear was taken from South Carolina and Tennessee Sunglass Hut locations. Three Miami males, Lazaro Salazar Hechavarria, 28, Xavier Perez, 52, and Alexander Trujillo Gomez, 48, were detained in Tennessee last month on suspicion of burglary, theft of property valued at $250,000 or more, and vandalism.

According to the police, after being delivered to Miami, the stolen eyewear was seized. “What our investigators discovered was that three men were taking a rental vehicle, driving to South Carolina and Tennessee, subsequently breaking into the Sunglass Hut and shipping the stolen merchandise,” Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said on Tuesday. “Through investigative means we were able to make contact with the connection that these three men had at that local address and were able to recover what you see here in front of you.” According to police, more Miami residents may be linked to the plan and may ultimately face arrest. “People may believe that Sunglass Hut is the only company impacted. It doesn’t, and this impacts every customer who tries to purchase these products,” Morales stated. The three men were booked into a Tennessee jail, where they were each being held on a $1 million bond, officials said.