NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – One person has been arrested in the burglaries of several vans belonging to the Humane Society of Greater Miami.
Edwin Angel Morales, 52, was arrested Aug. 9 after he was caught stealing car batteries just a few blocks from his home in North Miami, police said.
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North Miami Beach police said nine Humane Society vans were tampered with overnight Aug. 5 at 16101 W. Dixie Highway.
Seven of the vehicles had car batteries stolen and two were damaged in an attempt to get to the batteries, police said.
Investigators said surveillance video and fingerprints found on the vehicles ruled out a former employee who was initially suspected of being involved in the crime.
Detectives said an anonymous tip led them to Morales, who was already jailed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Facility.
They said Morales confessed to stealing the car batteries from the Humane Society to help pay bills.
In addition to the confession, Morales' fingerprints were also found to be under the hood of one of the vans, police said.
According to detectives, Morales had been selling multiple car batteries over the last three months to a scrap yard in Opa-locka.
Morales faces multiple charges, including seven counts of burglary, three counts of grand theft and two counts of criminal mischief.
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