PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 50-year-old man is in jail for stealing property at numerous construction sites, Port St. Lucie police said.
Police said Arnoldo Perez-Miraba, of Greenacres, broke into 55 homes under construction in Port St. Lucie and stole circuit breakers and electrical panels.
The investigation began on Feb. 19 with 12 reported burglaries of homes under construction in the 6300 block of Northwest Sweetwater Drive. Police said nearly $15,000 worth of circuit breakers were stolen.
According to Port St. Lucie detectives, from Feb. 20 through Feb. 27, 27 additional burglaries of homes under construction were reported in the 14200 block of Southwest Britton Avenue, the 11800 block of Southwest Macelli Way and the 9700 block of Southwest Triton Way, where nearly $28,000 worth of circuit breakers and electrical panels were stolen.
Then on March 8, police said five more burglaries of homes under construction were reported in the 500 block of Southeast Ranch Oak Circle and in the 600 block of Southeast Lake Falls Street, where nearly $15,000 worth of circuit breakers were stolen.
Police said they were able to identify Perez-Mirabal as the suspect when they lifted a fingerprint from one of the crimes committed along Northwest Sweetwater Drive. Detectives said his fingerprints were also located at several other crime scenes and police were able to get surveillance video of his car.
Following a lengthy investigation, detectives located Perez-Mirabal and arrested him on April 5. Police said they were able to link him to all 55 burglaries that spanned the entire city based on interviews and evidence found at the crime scenes.
According to Port St. Luice police, Perez-Mirabal is a painter by trade who was not a subcontractor for any of the homes under construction that were burglarized. They said that once he located and burglarized the homes under construction for their circuit breakers and electrical panels, he would later sell them for money.
Perez-Miraba is facing numerous charges, including 55 counts of burglary to an unoccupied dwelling and trespassing on a construction site, grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, dealing in stolen property and enhancement of traveling across county lines to commit burglary.
He is being held at St. Lucie County Jail on about a $1.2 million bond.