Security footage from the Village Flea Market in Miami-Dade documented the exact moment when 59-year-old Felipe Llanos Colón posed as a customer at Franky Diamonds jewelry store, tried on an extravagant Rolex watch, and made a swift exit with it.
This incident marks one of the boldest thefts recorded in the region recently. So far, the suspect's nationality remains undisclosed.
The stolen watch was an 18-karat gold Rolex Presidential with a black dial, valued at over $60,000, based on current market prices.
The Heist Unfolds
Franky Diamonds, the store's owner, detailed to local press that the watch was “a black president 18k, 25 grams” piece, purchased for $40,000 with an intent to sell for $60,000.
What heightens the intrigue is that the suspect's actions were not spur-of-the-moment. According to the owner, the individual had visited the store before: “My team noticed him two days prior, on Saturday,” indicating he had scouted the location before the theft.
The robbery took place on April 13 at around 1:05 p.m., at the booth located at 7900 NW 27 Ave., in the West Little River area. Surveillance footage captures the moment the man grabbed the watch and dashed through the market's aisles as soon as it was handed to him.
Chase and Escape
An employee from Franky Diamonds immediately pursued him to the parking lot, where the suspect was already inside a U-Haul truck. In a desperate attempt to stop him, the employee leapt onto the hood of the vehicle, clinging to it while the thief sped off.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department reported that the suspect drove off the property through a gap in a fence onto Northwest 30th Avenue, heading south while the employee remained on the hood. The employee sustained injuries during the chase.
The man eventually halted near Northwest 79th Street, abandoned the truck, and fled on foot toward the MetroRail area, initially evading capture.
Identification and Arrest
However, he made a crucial error: he wasn't disguised during the robbery. Detectives distributed images from the video to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department's real-time operations center, where facial recognition software identified him.
Llanos Colón was first taken into custody by Miami police last Friday at 1280 NW 60 St., in Liberty City, for a separate incident. Later, Miami-Dade Sheriff's deputies re-arrested him for the watch theft, and he was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK).
On Saturday, April 19, he appeared before a judge who ordered house arrest with electronic monitoring and prohibited him from contacting the Franky Diamonds employee.
Prosecutors have filed two criminal cases against him. The first, relating to the theft, includes charges of second-degree grand theft and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, with a $20,000 bail under Circuit Judge Ariel Rodriguez's jurisdiction. The second, from the Liberty City arrest, involves charges of drug paraphernalia possession and driving with a suspended license, with a $500 bail under Judge Julie Nelson.
The watch, still unrecovered, adds to a rising trend of luxury watch thefts in the Miami-Dade area, where the highly liquid secondary market for these timepieces makes them frequent targets for thieves.
Insights into Miami-Dade Luxury Watch Thefts
What type of Rolex was stolen in the Miami-Dade heist?
The stolen watch was an 18-karat gold Rolex Presidential with a black dial, valued at over $60,000.
How was the suspect identified following the theft?
The suspect was identified using facial recognition software after detectives shared images from the security footage.
What charges is Felipe Llanos Colón facing?
Felipe Llanos Colón faces charges of second-degree grand theft and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, as well as separate charges for drug paraphernalia possession and driving with a suspended license.