www.local10.com, Andrea Torres and Mercedes Cevallos, January 9, 2024
MIAMI – Aerial views of a residential property in Miami-Dade County showed a yard in shambles. The satellite view on county property records showed about half a dozen parked vehicles. Google’s satellite view showed about a dozen vehicles disassembled — some without a hood.
Miami-Dade detectives arrested three men on Monday accused of being a part of a chop shop operation in the Brownsville area that included stolen vehicles from both Miami-Dade and Broward counties. There were Hondas, Dodges, and Infinitis, according to police reports.
The detectives credited the finding to a man who reported that his blue 2018 Infiniti Q50 had been stolen in Miami, but since he had hidden an Apple AirTag inside, he knew that it was at 1965 NW 58 St., according to police reports.
After a Miami-Dade Police Department helicopter flew over the property on Monday, men got startled and took off running. A police pursuit ensued and officers arrested the suspects. Detectives also got a warrant and found the man’s Infiniti Q50 without an engine, according to police.
The Infiniti’s transmission, engine, and license plate were on the ground nearby. The house had “a solid white metal fence separating the front yard from the back yard and a solid wooden fence surrounding the back yard,” according to police.
The police list of vehicles disassembled included two other 2019 Infiniti Q50 reported stolen out of Miami and Sunrise, a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee stolen out of Opa-locka, and two 2019 Honda Civics stolen out of Miramar, Pembroke Pines, and Miami-Dade.
The police list of parts found included two doors that had belonged to a 2021 Dodge Challenger that was stolen on Nov. 6, out of Travis County, and a transmission that had belonged to a 2018 Dodge Charger stolen on July 7 out of the city of Miami.
Detectives identified the three suspects arrested as Ivan Gonzalez, 50; Henry Brazoban, 47; and Julio Luna, 27. Inmate records show they remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Tuesday evening in Miami-Dade.
Gonzalez, also known as Gonzalez-Lauzan, told police he lived at the house. He is facing charges of operating a chop shop, five counts of grand theft, seven counts of possession of a vehicle without a VIN, and three counts of vehicle with altered ID.
Luna, of Miami Gardens, and Brazoban, of Westview, were each facing charges of resisting an officer without violence to his person, operating a chop shop, five counts of grand theft, seven counts of possession of a vehicle without a VIN, and three counts of vehicle with altered ID.
Detectives were asking anyone with information about the case to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
News article: Stolen car with owner’s Apple AirTag helps detectives find Miami-Dade chop shop, records show (local10.com)