BAY HARBOR ISLANDS, Fla. – A set of crooks came up with the perfect distraction in order to steal a $17,000 diamond ring a man had just purchased at a Surfside jewelry store.
Surveillance video shows a man pull up to a Bay Harbor Islands gas station in a Lincoln Navigator with a flat tire.
Several men get out of a Toyota Corolla and a man with a mask jogs across the 125th Street Causeway.
Video shows the suspect hiding behind a wall while one of the other men distracts the victim.
Police later arrested 51-year-old Enrique Carranza Sanchez.
They say video shows Sanchez swooping in after the victim’s two children get out of the car.
The man’s two daughters were with him because they planned to surprise their mom with the shiny, expensive gift.
The victim had no idea that the crooks had slashed his tires at the jewelry store and had no idea that the ring had just been stolen.
Bay Harbor Islands police were able to track down Sanchez a few days later, but they’re still looking for the man in the mask.
There have been numerous recent cases in South Florida where people are followed and ambushed for jewelry.
It’s not clear if the case is related, but Surfside police are investigating a case where tourists were followed from the Aventura Mall and ambushed for Rolexes.
A group of men also staked out a Rolex store in Miami’s Design District and robbed customers of a watch, according to police.
Police say the bottom line is if you have bought jewelry, or have expensive jewelry on, be aware of your surroundings at all times, because in a flash, it can be gone.
Bay Harbor Islands police ask you to call them if you think you’ve been a victim of a similar crime or if you have any information on this case.