video released – NBC 6 South Florida
Newly-released video shows a wild handbag heist at a Miami Beach hotel, that ended with nearly $2 million in merchandise stolen.
Eduardo Travieso Garcia is facing charges after police said he and another man stole around $1.8 million worth of designer handbags from a shop at a Miami Beach hotel.
Several surveillance cameras captured the masked men rushing into the store with large, green garbage bins before frantically grabbing handbags and throwing them into the bins.
Garcia, 45, was arrested in March on charges of grand theft, masked burglary, and unlawful use of a communications device, an arrest report said.
According to the report, officers responded to a burglary call just after 3 a.m. Tuesday at the Maison Wrist Aficionado store at the Setai Hotel at 2001 Collins Avenue.
Officers found the front door of the store propped open, its door lock punched out, and the business ransacked, the report said.
Previously-released security footage showed a man getting out of a work van and walking up to the entrance before he popped the lock using an unknown tool and walked away, returning to the van.
Another man approached the business from the same van with a large garbage bin before the first man returned with a second garbage bin.
Both men were seen running away with the garbage bins filled to the brim with purses and handbags, the report said.
The men put the bins in the van and fled, one in the van and the other in an orange Hyundai Santa Fe, the report said.
The Setai’s security manager told police the pair stole over 60 Hermès Birkin handbags with a value over $1.8 million. The handbags generally sell for anywhere between $20,000 to $35,000 a piece.
Investigators determined the van was stolen but the Hyundai was a suspect vehicle in a jewelry store burglary in Hillsborough County earlier this month, the report said.
Detectives found the Santa Fe later Tuesday and met with its owner, Garcia, who gave a full confession, the report said.
Garcia was booked into jail. Police haven’t given any information on the second suspect.
