Two 19-year-olds, Eddie Jean-Baptiste and Elijah Torrealba, were taken into custody following a brazen theft of 15 forklifts from a Miami-Dade business worth over half a million dollars.
The brazen theft occurred at dawn when the pair smashed open security gates to the business. The two loaded the forklifts into a black Range Rover and a dark-colored BMW, catching all the action on surveillance video before speeding away.
Two 19 year olds from Miami were arrested after stealing 15 forklifts worth over $500,000 from a Miami-Dade business hoping to cash out & split the money. PIC.TWITTER.COM/TBNNEMVLRV
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) AUGUST 7, 2024
The investigators jumped into action with clear evidence from the surveillance video. Tracing the stolen forklifts, they located them in a place called Medley. The well-worked investigation thus bore fruit as the suspects, Jean-Baptiste and Torrealba, came back and did the stupid thing of walking squarely into the trap that was laid by law enforcement. It was then that they realized the presence of policemen, so they attempted to escape.
Jean-Baptiste was arrested on the spot, but Torrealba decided to really push his luck, and the car was sent into a high-speed chase. The chase was really fast, winding through streets until Torrealba finally abandoned the car in a desperate attempt at freedom. All that work was in vain, though, as he was arrested a little while later.
Inside the suspects’ BMW, police found a treasure trove of evidence: a Glock handgun and some weed; there were also clothes that seemed to coincide with what the suspects used in the surveillance tape. This discovery further nailed the case against them. On their record now are a slew of charges against Jean-Baptiste and Torrealba, to include first-degree grand theft, felony criminal mischief, and additional charges related to their attempt to flee and high-speed chase. Both suspects are currently being held at Miami-Dade County’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center pending further legal action.
