A man from Florida was taken into custody this week for allegedly stealing hundreds of pounds of avocados from a grove in the Miami area, Fox News reported, citing law enforcement.
Edel Perez, 29, was arrested after deputies claimed to have seen him exiting a secured avocado grove carrying bags of avocados that were estimated to weigh approximately 400 pounds, according to the arrest affidavit from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
During the interrogation, Perez allegedly informed law enforcement officials that he was unemployed and wanted to sell the stolen avocados in order to purchase Christmas gifts for his two kids.
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Edel Perez's arrest and charges
At approximately 3:10 a.m. on Monday, law enforcement reported observing a male individual clad entirely in black attire gathering avocados inside the grove.
{{/usCountry}}At approximately 3:10 a.m. on Monday, law enforcement reported observing a male individual clad entirely in black attire gathering avocados inside the grove.
{{/usCountry}}According to the police, the avocado grove is enclosed by a fence and displays a “No Trespassing” sign. Deputies found bags of avocados in Perez's Mercedes-Benz, which matched identical bags found in the grove containing freshly harvested fruit.
They later located loose avocados, which were valued at an estimated $800, in the trunk of the vehicle, as stated in the arrest affidavit.
Perez is facing charges for trespassing on agricultural property and third-degree grand theft.
Following his arrest, he was taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and his bail was set at $5,000, as per Fox News.
Canadian family seeks help after thieves stole nearly all of their belonging
Meanwhile, a Canadian family on holiday in the US is requesting assistance after criminals stole nearly all of their possessions, including their passports, which has left them stranded far from their home country, KHOU reported.
Mingchu Shih mentioned that she and her family journeyed to the US for what was intended to be a delightful Christmas holiday, with planned visits to multiple cities.
According to Shih, the thieves took all of the family's luggage, as well as laptops, tablets, a cellphone, credit cards, and all four of their Canadian passports.
Shih stated that the family has submitted a police report. However, none of the stolen items have been retrieved till date.