3,500 pairs of high-end sunglasses recovered following multi-state theft ring

    MIAMI (WSVN) -- Authorities said they have recovered over 3,500 pairs of sunglasses following the arrest of three Miami men connected to a multi-state organized retail theft ring.

Miami Police Chief Manny Morales said Alexander Trujillo Gomez, 48, Xavier Perez, 52, and Lazaro Salazar Hechavarria, 28, are responsible for the theft of high-end designer sunglasses.

“This affects every single consumer that goes out there and is trying to buy these items out there,” he said.

According to authorities, the merchandise, stolen from stores in Tennessee and South Carolina, is valued at around $1.2 million.

During the robberies, they would cause damage across the multi-state retail ring.

“They broke through, at least in one business, through the wall, disabled the security system, and were able to take a large quantity of sunglasses,” said Chief Morales. “They were professionals at doing what they did.”

It was a Miami Police Officer who saw the three men were arrested in Tennessee and dug deeper into their ties to Miami.

“What our investigators discover is that three men were taking a rental vehicle, driving to South Carolina and Tennessee, subsequently breaking into the Sunglass Huts and shipping the stolen merchandise to a location in the 1100 block of Northwest 34th Avenue in our very own Flagami,” said Chief Morales.

At the location, officers did not find the shades; instead, they found the answers as to where they were being stashed away.

Police have not yet released that location, but said they are happy to be putting a stop to this retail ripoff.

“We’re just happy that we’re able to kind of assist the authorities up there and the folks in the private sector and let them know that the police department will not allow any criminals to take harbor in the city of Miami,” said Morales.

The three men are being held in custody in Tennessee and are expected to go before a judge on Thursday.

Police said the investigation is still open and ongoing. Additional charges may be filed, and more arrests could be made.