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Two men were arrested after getting caught stealing half a million dollars worth of forklifts from a business in Miami-Dade County.
Elijah Torrealba Ruiz, 19, and Eddie Jean-Baptiste, 20, both face charges of first-degree grand theft, burglary and criminal mischief, according to arrest reports.
On Sunday, Aug. 4, at 5:19 p.m., Forklift Parts and Equipment notified the police of a burglary where 15 forklifts were stolen.
According to the arrest report, CEO Lazaro Suarez told police that the business gates are secured with a lock during non-business hours. A maintenance worker on duty during the weekend had noticed that the gates were open around 10 a.m. on Sunday and that the lock on the front had been forcibly cut through, Suarez said.
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At approximately 1 a.m., surveillance footage showed two male suspects climbing the main gate and using a power saw to break through the lock from inside, Suarez said. Later at 3 p.m., the suspects returned in a black Range Rover and stole more forklifts. There were approximately five suspects in the vehicle.
Detectives obtained the license plate of the Range Rover but later found it abandoned. Detectives also found that a dark-colored four-door BMW was alongside the Range Rover when the forklifts were getting stolen.
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When detectives arrived at the scene of the investigation, they saw Torrealba and Jean-Baptiste arriving in a dark-colored BMW, the same vehicle used in the burglary.
When the two suspects saw police, they quickly made an unlawful U-turn and sped away. This resulted in a chase with officers, according to the arrest report.
Throughout the chase, Torrealba drove erratically, making unlawful turns and running a red light, police said.
Eventually, Torrealba ditched the vehicle and ran away on foot despite officers' commands to stop. Jean-Baptiste stayed inside the vehicle and was ordered to get out of the vehicle but he refused, police said.
When officers tried to handcuff Jean-Baptiste, he resisted. After searching him, they found a yale key to a forklift and marijuana in his possession.
Torrealba, who was stopped in front of a gas station, also resisted when officers tried to put him in handcuffs, police said. When he was placed in the back of a police car, he managed to free himself from the handcuffs and run away before he was caught again.
Both suspects were later transported to the Midwest Station without incident.
When officers searched the BMW, they found a 9mm pistol with nine rounds in the pocket of the driver's door. According to the arrest report, the clothing used in the burglary was also found in the back of the vehicle and matched the physical description of the masked subjects seen breaking into the forklift shop.
Total damages were valued at $5,000, according to the arrest report.
As of Tuesday, the suspects remained in jail on bond.
