Swiss tourists robbed of $9,610 worth of items at gunpoint

TWO ROBBERS APPROACHED a man as he walked home at 6:12 p.m. Monday along the 20200 block of Old Cutler Road. They demanded his property, and he refused to comply. One of them struck him on the head and removed his beeper. The robbers fled on foot.

WITNESSES CALLED POLICE Friday at 11:36 a.m. after seeing three men loading goods taken from a home in the 20500 block of Manta Drive into a 1979 Buick Le Sabre. As officers arrived at the scene, one spotted a car matching the description traveling slowly on Southwest 117th Avenue toward 248th Street. He began following it. When the car ran a stop sign, the officer signaled the driver to pull over. Instead, the car continued west on 248th Street, continuing even after the right rear tire blew out. When the tire was completely shredded, the car turned onto Southwest 137th Court and two of the robbers fled. The driver was arrested. Police charged Dennis Courtney Butler, 20, of 26615 SW 137th Ct., with burglary, grand theft, criminal mischief and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. A search of the car uncovered items taken from the home, including a television set, spear gun, VCR and other items.

BURGLARS STOLE a blue 1988 Toyota Camry from Holiday Inn, 10775 Caribbean Blvd., between 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday .


GOULDS

CAR THIEVES STOLE a white 1990 Dodge Dynasty from Hainlain Mills Apartments, 10370 SW 216th St., between 1 and 2 a.m. April 30.


HOMESTEAD

A BURGLAR BROKE into Wareco Service Station, 1101 N. Flagler Ave., between 3:20 a.m and 3:30 a.m. Sunday and stole $3,800 in cash from the safe, a $20 blue metal box, as well as a $5 surveillance tape. The burglar apparently had the key to the safe, but neither the manager nor the assistant manager knew how the burglar got it.

A WOMAN WALKING in the 100 block of Northeast Second Road was robbed between 12:35 and 12:40 p.m. May 2. The victim said she was approached by a beige vehicle that almost hit her. The victim stepped back just when a woman leaned out of the right window and grabbed her $20 purse from her shoulder. It contained $10 and identification.

A BURGLAR BROKE into an apartment in the 1300 block of Old Dixie Highway between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday by removing the bottom half of the bathroom sliding window. The burglar stole a $12,000 Rolex watch, a $5,000 gold ring with three diamonds and 13 rubies, a $15,000 gold medallion, a $1,000 pair of emerald earrings, a $1,000 VCR and a $100 portable radio.

A WOMAN WALKING out of the north entrance of Sears, 120 NE Eighth St., between 12:30 and 12:35 p.m. Thursday reported her purse snatched by a man who fled in a waiting beige vehicle. The purse was valued at $30 and contained papers and $200.

SOMEONE BROKE 11 windows valued at $500 at St. John's Episcopal School, 170 NE 10th St., sometime Saturday before 5:35 p.m.

A BURGLAR BROKE into an apartment in the 800 block of East Mowry Drive between 6:30 a.m. and 10 p.m.May 2 by pushing the patio screen. The burglar stole a $140 portable stereo, a $70 bird cage and four parakeets valued at $60.

A BURGLAR BROKE into Progressing Fashion, 230 NE Eighth St., between 2:25 and 2:30 a.m. Sunday. The burglar got inside by cutting a hole in the roof and prying steel bars apart. The alarm went off and the burglar apparently ran away without stealing anything.

A THIEF STOLE the wallet from a woman who was helping her son after he had fallen outside Publix, 901 N. Homestead Blvd., Friday between 4:25 and 4:40 p.m. The wallet was valued at $40 and contained $390.


LEISURE CITY

BURGLARS BROKE through the utility room door of a home on the 15600 block of Southwest 296th Street between 8:15 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday, ransacked the bedroom and stole an undetermined amount of property.


NARANJA

BURGLARS PRIED open the kitchen door of a home on the 26900 block of Southwest 187th Avenue between 7:45 and 11:45 a.m. Monday while the owner's son slept. They stole a VCR, computer, printer and an additional undetermined amount of property.

BURGLARS REMOVED the fence gate of Palms Woodlawn Funeral Home & Cemetery, 27100 Old Dixie Hwy., between 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 a.m. Monday, and stole a golf cart worth $8,000.

POINT ROYALE

BURGLARS STOLE a white 1994 Toyota Previa van from the parking lot at Sizzler Restaurant, 18860 S. Dixie Hwy., between 9 and 10 p.m. Saturday.

SOUTH MIAMI HEIGHTS

A BURGLAR ENTERED the yard of a home in the 12600 block of Southwest 190th Street between 6:50 a.m. and 5:25 p.m. Thursday and stole $1,000 worth of tools, a $200 radio, a $5 lock and two batteries valued at $130 from a 1984 Oceanic open fisherman.


COUNTRY WALK

A BURGLAR KICKED in the front door of a home in the 14000 block of Southwest 137th Place between 9:30 and 10:15 a.m. April 29. Stolen were six watches worth $300, $1,000 in cash, a $1,000 diamond ring and a gold diamond watch valued at $2,000.


KENDALE

SOMEONE TRIED to open the rear sliding door of a home in the 10100 block of Southwest 111st Street between 1:25 and 1:35 p.m. Saturday. Damage was set at $200.


KENDALL

SOMEONE JUMPED over a fence and climbed into a second floor apartment in the 8200 block of Southwest 107th Avenue between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. April 25 and stole a $600 African parrot.


PALMETTO

SOMEONE BROKE into a home in the 8900 block of Southwest 124th Street between 3 p.m. April 27 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday and stole a power drill, a jigsaw, a hammer, two sanders, a circular saw and a battery. The construction equipment was valued at $700.


SOUTH MIAMI

A $125 HUFFY BICYCLE was stolen from the front porch of a home in the 6100 block of Southwest 69th Street between 7:30 and 9 p.m. April 29.


SOUTHWEST DADE

SOMEONE ENTERED the back yard of a home in the 15100 block of Southwest 63rd Terrace between 4 p.m. April 27 and 6 p.m. April 28 and stole a water bike engine worth $3,500.

This list is a sampling of crime in unincorporated Dade County and various cities. The information is taken from official police reports and compiled by Herald reporters.