MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Two Broward men are facing a slew of felony charges in a southern county after Miami-Dade police said they were among those responsible for stealing more than a dozen forklifts from a business near Doral.
Authorities arrested Eddie Jean-Baptiste, 20, of Plantation, and Elijah Torrealba, 19, of Coconut Creek, on Monday.
According to arrest reports from the Miami-Dade Police Department, the investigation began Sunday after a maintenance worker at Forklift Parts & Equipment, located east of the Palmetto Expressway at 7695 NW 63rd St., noticed the main gates were open with strength.
Police said surveillance footage showed two men climbing the gate and using a chainsaw to break the lock. The suspects were then seen removing the pickup truck from the business.
Arrest reports say surveillance footage showed at least five men involved and identified two vehicles as part of the burglary: a black Range Rover and a dark-colored BMW.
Authorities said the suspects got away with the 15 forks worth about $500,000.
Reports say that while the business owner was inspecting the scene, the Range Rover pulled up and employees were able to capture its license plates. Police said the SUV was later found abandoned at Advance Auto Parts at 9575 NW Seventh Ave. in the unincorporated area of Pinewood.
Authorities said the victim and police found some of the forklifts off Northwest 74th Avenue in Medley, and while there, Jean-Baptiste and Torrealba climbed into the BMW.
Reports say that when the pair noticed the presence of officers, they made a U-turn and sped away.
Police said they pursued the couple as Torrealba, driving the vehicle, ran a red light and sped off in an attempt to evade law enforcement.
After driving onto Palmetto Expressway and Gratigny Parkway, speeding and cutting off other drivers along the way, police said Torrealba stopped at Northwest 42nd Avenue and ran from the vehicle; They said Jean-Baptiste stayed inside and refused to come out, later resisting arrest.
Police said they found a Yale forklift key and marijuana on Jean-Baptiste.
A Hialeah police officer quickly handcuffed Torrealba at the Exxon gas station at 6305 E. Eighth Ave., reports said.
Police said he resisted arrest and later managed to slip his handcuffs and escape from a cruiser, leading officers on another foot chase. Authorities said they later caught him and medics took him to Hialeah Hospital for medical evaluation after he complained of shortness of breath.
Authorities said they found a Glock 48 handgun with nine rounds of ammunition inside the vehicle.
“Additionally, the same clothing used in the burglary was inside the vehicle and both matched the physical description of the masked subjects seen taking the forklifts from Forklift Parts and Equipment,” the investigating officer wrote in the reports. “In plain sight, I also found two steering columns that were damaged by two of the stolen forklifts.”
Police said both men invoked their right to remain silent after being taken into custody.
Both men face charges of first-degree grand larceny, masked burglary, criminal mischief and resisting arrest with violence.
Torrealba is facing additional charges, including fleeing and eluding a police officer.
Jean-Baptiste’s additional charges include 11 counts of felony possession of a firearm or ammunition and one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.
Jail records show Torrealba’s bond set at $32,500, with a hold for another agency.
A judge had not yet set bond for Jean-Baptiste, who has convictions in Broward County for aggravated fleeing and eluding and grand theft auto, jail records show. He was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Both men were being held at Miami-Dade County’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Tuesday afternoon.
Local 10 News visited the business Tuesday and saw one of the recovered forklifts; it had broken mirrors and its lower console was locked.
Ten of the 15 missing forks were found, staff said.
Authorities said the suspects’ plan was likely to sell them out.
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