A burglary investigation in Coral Gables has taken an unexpected turn after police linked two suspects to the home of a couple killed in a helicopter crash in Kenya, less than a day after their deaths were made public.
Police arrested 40-year-old Geybert Alexander Garcia and 24-year-old Melany Perdomo over the break-in, which investigators believe happened between Thursday and Saturday.
The pair allegedly entered the residence belonging to 55-year-old Henry Parra and 42-year-old Adam Hlavaty and left with artwork, jewellery, electronic devices, personal and business papers, as well as a Land Rover and Porsche SUV.
Parra and Hlavaty were among seven people killed on August 19 when the helicopter they were travelling in during a safari crashed in Samburu County. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the aircraft went down at 9:13 a.m. while flying from the Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area.
The other victims were identified as pilot Josh Outran and passengers Sensi-Contugi, his wife Hollihan Vásconez, Roger Duarte and Suian Suarez. Journalist José Alberto Suárez, who headed Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49 and Telemundo Fort Myers–Naples and previously worked at CBS Miami in the 1990s, was also killed.
Police said the investigation gained a key lead when a signal from the victims’ stolen MacBook was detected. Garcia and Perdomo were subsequently arrested and charged with several offences, including burglary and grand theft auto.
The two appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer and were held without bond. Glazer ruled that there was probable cause for the charges and barred the suspects from going near the Coral Gables property.
A family friend who testified in court described the condition in which the house was left. She said the security system had been breached and the front entrance suffered extensive damage, including to the lock, which the family will now have to replace.
The stolen items included property belonging to both Parra and Hlavaty, police said. Investigators are continuing to piece together how the suspects gained access to the home and what happened during the break-in.
A neighbour also told CBS News Miami that she supplied police with footage from her home security camera. The video reportedly showed the suspects leaving the property, and she said she shared it with authorities because she wanted to assist the investigation.
Duarte’s family separately confirmed his death in the crash, saying they were “devastated and heartbroken". His death added to the loss suffered by the families of the seven people who died in the Kenya accident.