KENDALL, Fla. — A Homestead man is facing more than 20 felony charges after investigators said he allegedly took part in two burglary sprees that targeted vehicles at a Miami-Dade car dealership, stealing expensive infotainment systems and causing thousands of dollars in damage.
According to two arrest reports from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, 25-year-old Josmanny Alexis Valdez was arrested Monday in connection with separate burglary investigations at Kendall Dodge, located at 13355 SW 137th Ave.
Authorities said the first investigation began after deputies responded to the dealership on May 15 following reports of multiple vehicle burglaries.
According to an arrest report, the dealership’s service manager discovered that infotainment systems had been stolen from Dodge Ram trucks parked in a fenced used-car lot where customers’ vehicles were being stored while awaiting service.
Investigators said Valdez and a second suspect, 25-year-old Celestino Ayala Jr., “cut an opening in the chain-link fence” before entering the lot and targeting Dodge Ram trucks from model years 2019 through 2026.
According to the report, the pair removed the infotainment systems from the unoccupied trucks and “cut the wiring harness” connecting the display screen to each vehicle, “leaving the vehicle permanently damaged.”
The report states that 18 Dodge Ram infotainment systems were stolen from vehicles belonging to 14 different victims. Investigators estimated each infotainment system was worth about $5,314, while the damage to each vehicle was approximately worth $1,087.
Detectives later searched Facebook Marketplace and found multiple Dodge Ram infotainment systems listed for sale, according to the report.
Investigators said the listings appeared on profiles under the names “Gio Valdez,” “Josmanny Valdes” and “Laylowjr Ayala,” all of which contained the same photographs.
The report states detectives were able to confirm that one of the systems advertised online had been stolen during one of the Kendall Dodge burglaries.
According to the report, detectives then conducted a “buy/bust operation” on May 28 after an undercover detective arranged to purchase two of the stolen infotainment systems for $500.
Investigators said surveillance teams watched as the suspects removed the systems from a blue Ford van before driving to Dolphin Mall to complete the transaction.
They said a subsequent search warrant executed on the van uncovered additional Dodge display screens and radio modules that were confirmed stolen from the dealership.
The arrest report also states that investigators gathered surveillance and other evidence showing the suspects “were in the area of the Dodge dealership throughout multiple dates.”
In the first case, Valdez faces five counts each of burglary of an occupied conveyance, grand theft of more than $3,000 while acting with others and criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in damage, along with one count of burglary of an occupied structure, according to jail records.
A second arrest report filed in the investigation links Valdez to additional burglaries involving vehicles owned by Rocco’s Custom and Kendall Dodge.
According to that report, investigators again allege Valdez and Ayala entered the dealership’s fenced lot by cutting through the chain-link fence before removing infotainment systems from Dodge Ram trucks.
Detectives said the second case stemmed from the same broader investigation that included the Facebook Marketplace listings, undercover operation and recovery of stolen property.
In the second case, Valdez is facing two counts each of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, grand theft of more than $3,000 while acting with others and criminal mischief, jail records show.
As of Tuesday, Valdez was being held on a $168,000 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Court records also show that several of his felony cases carry a Nebbia hold, meaning he must prove any money used to post bond came from a legitimate source before he can be released from custody.
Authorities said Ayala remains at large.
Anyone with information about the case or Ayala’s whereabouts is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
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