A suspected serial burglar who broke into a famed Miami Beach Italian restaurant twice and even pulled a gun on an employee who tried to stop him was arrested after surveillance footage led investigators right to his front door, police said.
Devin Remy, 38, was arrested Wednesday on charges that include armed robbery, burglary and grand theft, an arrest report said.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
>
WATCH HEREThe alleged crimes happened at Cafe Prima Pasta on 71st Street, known for its Italian meals and celebrity clientele like soccer star Lionel Messi, whose massive poster is displayed outside.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
>
SIGN UP
The first break-in happened after the holidays, in the early morning hours of Jan. 2, when Remy allegedly forced his way inside the restaurant and stole around $14,000 in cash, an arrest report said.
"He found out a couple of envelopes where we have the money, the weekend money. Part of the money was for employee money, for the paychecks," owner Fabio Palomba told NBC6.
Police said video showed Remy scouting the restaurant on an electric scooter before he returned early on Feb. 11 and broke in once again.
Local
Surveillance video obtained by NBC6 showed him busting through the glass door, sending glass and debris around the entrance.
Once inside, he took the nightly deposits and was leaving when he encountered an employee who was in the kitchen prepping for the day, the report said.
Remy punched the employee and ran out the front door, but the employee followed him, the report said.
The surveillance footage shows Remy run out of the door carrying a box as the employee follows closely behind.
The two ended up in a nearby alleyway where Remy pointed a gun at the employee and told him to back down or else he would shoot him, the report said.
The employee retreated and Remy fled the area, the report said.
"He was punched. He's ok. They bumped into each other, and the guy punched and then ran away and got the gun," Palomba said.
Investigators later found surveillance footage that showed Remy exiting and entering his apartment on Carlyle Avenue before and after the February incident, the report said.
When police searched the apartment, they found the same shoes and pants used in the crime as well as the scooter, the report said.
Cellphone data also showed Remy's phone was in the area of the restaurant at the time of the robbery, the report said.
When Remy was taken into custody and questioned, he made an admission about the crime but denied using a firearm or hitting the employee, the report said.
Remy was booked into jail and denied bond during a court appearance. Attorney information wasn't available.
The report noted that Remy is on probation for multiple burglaries, and that his probation had been set to end on May 3.
