Miami Herald

Nearly $2 million in luxury Hermés handbags are swiped from store in Miami Beach

- BY GRETHEL AGUILA gaguila@miamiheral­d.com Grethel Aguila: @GrethelAgu­ila

A duo snatched almost $2 million worth of Hermès Birkin designer bags from a Miami Beach store. One of the men accused in the heist was put behind bars. His car is linked to a jewelry-store theft last year in Florida,

Eduardo Travieso Garcia, 45, was arrested Tuesday, hours after the front door of the Maison Wrist Aficionado was propped open — and the business was ransacked for its luxury handbags. The Southgarba­ge west Miami-Dade man is facing charges of burglary, grand theft over

$100,000 and unlawful use of a communicat­ions device.

At around 3 a.m. Tuesday, police were called to the Setai Hotel, 2001 Collins Ave., where the store is housed. Surveillan­ce video caught a man hopping out of a white Ford E-250 work van with a PSG Constructi­on logo on the side.

He opened the door with an unknown tool, police say. Then another man approached the front door with a large gray

bin. The first guy is also caught on tape with a bin of his own.

Within minutes, they’re collecting treasure, filling the bins with luxury designer handbags, according to police. The men got back into their vehicles, with the second man jumping into an orange Hyundai Santa Fe.

The store owner, who arrived that morning, told police that more than 60 bags — valued at more than $1.8 million — were nabbed.

When detectives tracked the work van’s whereabout­s, they noticed that it and the Santa Fe left Miami Beach together via the Julia Tuttle Causeway. The Santa Fe, according to police, was linked to Garcia — and a jewelry-store burglary in Hillsborou­gh Country last year.

Garcia, jail records show, was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correction­al Center with his bond set at $100,000.

 ?? ?? Maison Wrist Aficionado was ransacked for its Hermès’ signature Birkin bags, like the ones above. The store is at the Setai Hotel, 2001 Collins Ave.
Maison Wrist Aficionado was ransacked for its Hermès’ signature Birkin bags, like the ones above. The store is at the Setai Hotel, 2001 Collins Ave.

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