PEMBROKE PINES (CBSMiami) –
Security cameras at a Pembroke Pines jewelry store captured not one but two
burglaries this week, the second one caught a police officer stealing a
expensive watch during the investigation of the first burglary, according to
police.
During the investigation of a
burglary at Jared the Galleria of Jewelry at 11077 Pines Boulevard, the
Pembroke Pines Police Department learned that Officer Kevin Burgs, 36, took a
movado watch valued at $795.00 from the store, according to new arrest
affidavit from the department.
The reported theft was captured
by two of the store’s surveillance video cameras. The report says a store
employe who was reviewing footage from the burglary spotted the officer
stealing the watch.
Burg’s arrest report states
that detectives discovered the stolen watch inside the officer’s police
vehicle. The report said the store wants to prosecute the officer.
Pembroke Pines Police Captain
Carlos Bermudez told CBS4′s Peter D’Oench that he did not know if that
suirveillance tape would be released.
“That will be up to the Broward
State Attorney’s Office and prosecutors will have to review that tape,” said
Bermudez.
That surveillance tape will be
part of the internal affairs investigation of Burgs.
Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank
Ortis told D’Oench that he could not comment yet about this case.
“It’s just too early in the
investigation for me to say anything right now,” said Ortiz.
“That’s crazy, like isn’t it
serve and protect,” said Pembroke Pines resident Penelope Garcia. “What was he
thinking?”
Burgs was arrested Thursday
morning and charged with Grand Theft. Bond was set at $1,000. After posting
bail, he was released.
D’Oench stopped at Burgs’ home
in Davie to try to speak with the officer. But no one came to the door when he
knocked.
“He blew his whole reputation,
his whole career, for a watch, a piece of jewelry, that’s ridiculous, why would
you even chance that,” wondered Darcee Mixon, an employee of Second Cup coffee
shop near the jewelry store. “That’s insane. Cops come in here all the time,
you expect them to be above and beyond all of that, so for them to stoop to
such a small level, it’s really, I can’t imagine.”
Burgs, a nine year veteran of
the Pembroke Pines Police Department, has been placed on suspension with pay
pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
“It’s kind of embarrassing to
have an officer of the law be so irresponsible or maybe it’s a hint to the
government to pay your officers more,” said Garcia.
Police were called to the store
Wednesday morning after a couple of cat burglars broke into the store overnight
and got away with $75-thousand worth of jewelry.
The two burglars got into the
store by cutting a hole in the roof. Once inside, they smashed the glass cases
and grabbed the high-priced goods.
A roofer who patched the hole
said this was not a haphazard job.
”They had to bring a battery
powered saw up there. They knew there was going to be corrugated metal, they
knew how to cut it, like they cut it perfectly square,” explained roofer
William Natale.
Police said the crooks were
dressed in all black and wore masks. In surveillance video taken inside the
store during the crime, one burglar can be seen using what appears to be a pick
ax to smash the glass cases.
Below is the surveillance video
of the burglary in progress:
The jewel thieves stuffed all
the loot into a back pack, placed a step stool on a counter and pulled
themselves up through the hole in the ceiling in order to make their escape by leaving
the same way they came in.
In addition to the theft of
$75-thousand worth of merchandise, the burglars left behind $10-thousand in
damage to the glass cases and the roof.
Last month, there was a similar
type of burglary at the Westfield Broward Mall in Plantation. Two men cut a
hole in the roof to break into the Gordon’s Jewelers store. Surveillance video
shows them descending into the store using a rope. Once inside they stole more
than $100,000 in merchandise in about 20 minutes. They then exited through the
roof.
Police have not said if they
suspect the two burglaries were related.
