MIAMI-DADE, Fla. — A South Florida man was arrested after stealing 400 pounds of avocados to sell and buy Christmas presents for his children, according to police.
Edel Perez, 29, is accused of stealing them from an avocado grove in southwest Miami-Dade early Monday, according to authorities.
Deputies said they spotted a black Mercedes parked near the grove and saw Perez, who was dressed in a black hoodie, picking avocados and loading them into the car, WFTV reported.
They found bags filled with avocados in the car, and the trunk was completely loaded with the fruit, deputies stated. The estimated total value was around $800.
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Perez told deputies he was stealing the avocados to sell them and buy Christmas presents for his children with the money.
Investigators said it appeared the suspect entered the grove by cutting through a fence line, which allowed him to trespass on the agricultural site.
He faces charges of trespassing and third-degree grand theft, and his bond was set at $5,000.
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