Assistant manager robbed at gunpoint at Miami catering business

Robbery reported July 4 at Heart of Palm Catering

MIAMI – An assistant manager at a Miami catering business was robbed at gunpoint last week inside the business' kitchen, authorities said.

The armed robbery was reported about 4:50 p.m. July 4 at Heart of Palm Catering, which shares the building at 99 NW 54th St. with the Philly Grub restaurant.

Detectives said the victim, Ignacio Pena Volquez, 27, was working in the kitchen with a friend when two teenagers, one of whom was armed with a handgun, entered the kitchen through the back door.

Miami police said the armed robber demanded the victim's property while the other robber held the witness so that he couldn't move.

"In that moment you think about everything, because you don't know what's going to happen. In just minutes, you know, everything can change," Pena Volquez said.

Police said the robbers left with the victim's expensive jewelry, cellphone and wallet that contained four bank cards and cash.

"My chain, my bracelet, my ring, my wallet, my phone -- they almost took my car, but I'm glad they didn't," Pena Volquez said.

According to an incident report, surveillance video captured the robbers using one of the victim's cards at a CVS Pharmacy the same day at 4800 Biscayne Blvd.

One of the robbers is described as a black male between the age of 17 and 19. He is about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, is clean shaven and was last seen wearing a red hoodie, dark blue sweats with a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. logo, white socks and black sandals with a white logo.

The second robber is described by police as a black male between the age of 15 and 16. He is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, clean shaven, has a small Afro and was last seen wearing a white tank top, red-and-black basketball shorts, white socks and black sandals with a white logo.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.