Luxury Car Stolen From Miami Valet – NBC 6 South Florida

When Cristian Sahdala and his wife moved to Miami in October, his father-in-law’s Porsche 911 Carrera 4s came with them.

“It was custom made, it had special paint, special wheels, everything was special on the car. It is not something you can get anywhere,” Sahdala said.

He says when he moved into his skyrise apartment at the Brickell City Centre, he was told they would have to pay an extra fee each month to house the car with the building’s valet service.

“What they told me is that I have to valet the car with them,” Sahdala said.

But four days after moving in, he says, the $180,000 car was mysteriously gone.

“When I come back, I see the car is nowhere in the garage,” Sahdala said. “The manager, the one in charge, was shocked that my car was gone.”

Sahdala called police and they checked surveillance cameras.

According to a Miami Police report, the cameras captured a man “squatting behind the unattended valet front desk” where a valet employee told police the valet parking box “has been broken for a while.”

Minutes later, police say a man is seen “walking into the parking garage” toward the Porsche, which was out of the camera angle.

The Porsche is later recorded exiting the parking lot, according to the police report.

Jesus Cepero, 34, was arrested and charged with grand theft.

Sahdala says he still has no idea where the car is and he wants answers from the valet company.

“I told them, ‘hey what are you going to do to fix this?’ Because I am going to live here, and I want to know that I am going to be safe here,” Sahdala said.

NBC 6 Responds reached out to the valet company. A REEF Parking spokesperson told us, “REEF is fully cooperating with the Miami Dade Police Department’s active investigation into this matter.” The company didn’t answer our questions about the security of the valet stand and whether they will replace the car.

Charles Baron, a litigation attorney, says valet companies are responsible for the safety of your property under the law but companies have found ways around this.

He says before valeting your car, look out for signs with disclaimers waiving responsibility for property damage or theft, adding this language can also be on the back of your valet ticket.

“That can be a problem for you if your car is damaged or stolen, it is something they could raise a defense, to any lawsuit, the language they have may or may not hold up in lawsuit but it could be at the very least be a hassle,” Baron said.

He says it’s also a good idea to take pictures of your car before valeting. This could help if there is reported damage or if you need to file an insurance claim.

Also, be aware of what your car insurance will and won’t cover. Some policies will give you money for a brand-new car of the same make and model versus the depreciated value, if the car is stolen.

“You have that avenue of relief, it is usually a $500 deductible, your insurance company can then take legal action,” Baron said.

As for Sahdala, he did not have theft coverage on his policy. He says the incident has left his family rattled.

“It has been a roller coaster for me because of course I have been wanting to move, it has been horrible for me and my family,” Sahdala said.

NBC 6 also reached out to the Brickell City Centre but haven’t heard back.

As for Jesus Cepero, the man accused of stealing the car, he pleaded not guilty. An attorney representing him didn’t respond to our request for comment.