HOMESTEAD, Fla. — A Homestead man is suspected of stealing jewelry from at least two victims trying to sell the items on Facebook Marketplace. In one case, police say the 21-year-old used fake movie money to make off with a gold chain. But they say his loose grip would be his undoing.
Homestead Police Department officers first arrested the suspect, Ludjy Juste, on Thursday in connection with the July 31 movie money case. He bonded out, but was arrested again on Monday after police said they tied him to a June 4 ring theft.
That case happened at the Homestead Plaza Apartments at 170 NE 10th St., about a block away from Juste’s own home, according to an HPD arrest report.
Police said the victim agreed to sell the $1,200 gold ring to an unidentified man known as “Chino” and they set up a meeting at the complex.
Authorities said Juste joined “Chino” and sat in the victim’s car to view the ring. “Chino” handed the ring to Juste and both took off, according to the report.
According to the report, the apartment building’s CCTV cameras weren’t working and the case went dormant.
That is until police said they identified Juste as the suspect in the July 31 theft. In that case, police said a man going by “Oscar Cruz” sought to buy a 10 karat Monaco gold chain worth $2,200.
According to a separate arrest report, the victim and “Cruz” agreed to meet at La Cruzada Restaurant at 331 Park Place. Police said “Cruz” brought Juste with him.
Juste handed the victim what the victim thought was $2,100 in $100 bills, according to the report. Police said the bills turned out to be counterfeit and labeled “for motion picture use only.”
“As the victim was accepting the currency, (Juste) simultaneously snatched the gold chain from the victim’s hand and both subjects ran from the scene,” the report states.
But police said Juste made a critical fumble as he ran away: He dropped his iPhone on Civic Court.
According to the report, information obtained from a search warrant on the phone revealed it was registered to Juste.
Authorities said investigators went to his home on Thursday. Police said when they asked Juste if he knew why they were there, he said, “Yes, the chain.”
Juste said he was the person who was texting the victim and an accomplice whom he called “Chucky” translated for him, the report states.
“Juste advised during the incident he gave the victim the ‘fake’ money and he was the one who snatched the chain,” the report states. “Juste advised (that) ‘Chucky’ knew about the robbery and participated in it.”
Authorities said Juste admitted to selling the chain for $1,400 days later and both split the proceeds. They said Juste also confessed to two additional thefts, including the June 4 ring theft.
Juste now faces charges of grand theft, strong-armed robbery and uttering forged bills.
As of Tuesday, records show he was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $2,500 bond.
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