Victims’ Purses Stolen Twice at Cemetery, Once at Tennis Center
By Sharon Aron Baron
A man burglarized two vehicles while the victims mourned at their loved one’s gravesites.
Detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, North Lauderdale district, need your help identifying this criminal. Investigators say the subject committed a similar crime at a tennis center in Parkland a few days later. BSO Parkland district detectives are also trying to solve this case.
According to investigators, the first crime occurred on April 10 near the 7700 block of Bailey Road in North Lauderdale.
The victim told detectives that her black 2014 Acura was burglarized while visiting her mother’s gravesite at Star of David Memorial Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Chapel. Eight days later, another victim’s vehicle, a black 2021 BMW X5, was also broken into near the same cemetery while they visited a family member’s grave.
Two days after the second break-in, a third victim reported that her 2015 GMC Yukon was burglarized while she attended her son’s tennis match near the 7900 block of Parkside Drive in Parkland.
In all three cases, the suspect stole the victims’ purses containing their wallets and other miscellaneous items. The thief then used their credits cards to purchase over $2,500 worth of gift cards.
Surveillance video from multiple stores captured an individual matching the burglar’s description driving a light-colored vehicle into a store parking lot. The male is seen entering the businesses wearing a hooded sweatshirt, completing multiple gift card transactions, and then exiting.
Anyone with information on the subject’s identity or these cases is asked to contact BSO North Lauderdale Detectives Nezar Hamze at 954-720-2265 or Lisa Sokol at 954-720-2261.
You can also contact BSO Parkland district Detective Erick Quigley at 954-753-5050.
If you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at
browardcrimestoppers.org, or dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone in the United States.
Any information that leads to an arrest, in this case, is eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.