Utopia Homeowners Security Association – Page 34

Good News for South Grove

The following is an excerpt from an email received from Fernand R. Amandi who has spearheaded the efforts to improve police services in Coconut Grove:

As a result of our continued efforts to prioritize public safety we have been successful in securing unanimous City Commission approval for a new and permanent police substation in the heart of the West Grove. This is an historic development, as the Grove has never before had a single-use, stand-alone police substation. The decision to create the police substation is a direct sign of the commitment from the City to address our concerns.

We have been diligently working on this proposal over the last eight weeks and with the help of City Officials, County Commissioner Xavier Suarez and City of Miami Police Chief Manuel Orosa were able to make the Grove police substation a reality.

Special thanks must be given to City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff who immediately championed our initiative, secured the location and went so far as to provide the necessary start-up funding from the Sarnoff Foundation. This facility would never have come into being without the support and follow through of Commissioner Sarnoff and his staff.

The police substation will be located on the northwest corner of Grand and Douglas at 3727 Grand Avenue and it is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2014. I hope that everyone will join in the grand opening festivities, with more information to follow in the coming weeks.

Narcotics Arrests in West Village

FROM: Cmdr. Manuel Morales, Miami Police Department

In response to several recent incidents in the Village West, we have increased our narcotics enforcement efforts in the area.

On Wednesday, November 27th at 2PM our Narcotics Units along with our SWAT Team executed two search warrants of homes suspected of selling drugs.

The warrants were served in the 3400 block of Day Ave and the 3500 block of Plaza St.

The operation not only led to the successful apprehension of two criminals wanted for the sale of narcotics, but more importantly it removed a firearm and illegal drugs from our streets.

Today’s operation serves as an example that the Miami Police and the residents of the Grove will not tolerate crime and will not allow those who affect our quality of life to seek refuge behind close doors. We will continue to combat crime to make Coconut Grove a safer place to live and play.

Violent Crime Arrests In Coconut Grove

Commander Manuel A. Morales
Coconut Grove NET
Miami Police Department

On Wednesday, November 20th at 4PM the below pictured offender entered the Victoria Secret at CocoWalk and stated to the clerk that he had a gun and demanded money. The offender took the cash and fled the scene prior to the arrival of responding officers.

At 10:30Pm the same offender entered the Quick Mart located in the 3100 block of grand Ave and told the clerk he had a gun and demanded money. The clerk noticed the defendant did not appear to be armed and told him to leave the store as he called 911. The offender was departing the store and confronted an elderly female sitting in her vehicle in the parking lot. The offender told the victim he had a gun and reached inside her car and took her purse. The offender fled the scene prior to the arrival of responding officers.

At 11:30PM the same offender entered the Walgreens in the 3600 block of S. Dixie Hwy. and advised the clerk he had a gun and demanded money from the register. The offender took the cash and fled the scene on a bike.

This violent serial robber was identified by the fine efforts of our investigators in the Robbery Unit. The information and identity was given to the members of our Tactical Robbery Unit who located and apprehended the offender today. A record check revealed the offender has numerous previous arrest to include robbery and battery.

On Tuesday, November 26th at 1:30 am the below pictured offender entered the Walgreens located in the 3600 Block of S. Dixie Hwy. The offender attempted to steal several items and was confronted by the store clerk. The offender became violent and assaulted the clerk with a broken bottle. The offender fled the scene as the clerk called 911.

At 3AM, we received another 911 call from Quick Stop located in the 3100 block of Grand Ave, where the same offender was threatening the clerk a pipe. Officer M. Inguanzo, who had handled the previous call, was around the corner and was able to place the offender under arrest. Further investigation revealed, the offender was wanted on both incidents. A record check revealed the offender has a long criminal history with over 30 arrests and is listed as a career violent repeat offender. Officers on the scene received anonymous information that the offender is also involved in our rise of bicycle theft in Coconut Grove.

The efforts of our Coconut Grove patrol officers, along with the assistance of our investigative and tactical units, quickly brought these two violent repeat offenders into custody. Our primary goal is to prevent crime, but when crimes occur, we will not stop until we bring those responsible to justice. I will continue to keep you posted on our crime fighting efforts.

Thank You