3 Florida men arrested in connection with high-end sunglasses thefts in Middle Tennessee

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Suspected members of a South Florida crime syndicate are behind bars in Middle Tennessee after being accused of stealing more than $1 million in high-end eyewear across multiple states.

According to the Hendersonville Police Department (HPD), the men can be traced from Florida to South Carolina to Middle Tennessee.

Authorities said they look for specific high-end sunglasses stores they can enter by breaking through exterior walls.

Around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, the HPD said it was called to the Sunglass Hut at the Streets of Indian Lake shopping mall. When officers arrived, they found all the sunglasses gone and a hole cut in the wall. The security system and alarm were also disconnected.

According to officials, three Florida men entered an unlocked maintenance corridor and cut through the wall of the Sunglass Hut. Then, the men allegedly stole an estimated $400,000 worth of merchandise.

“They work very quickly and very efficiently. They were professionals at what they do,” HPD Cmdr. Jimmy Garrett told News 2.

HPD warned all UPS stores in the area to be on the lookout for men boxing up stolen merchandise and shipping it to Miami.

Authorities said the men arrived at a Goodlettsville UPS store Wednesday. Clerks there were curious and asked to see the contents of the the boxes, but the men told them it was plates and silverware. Then, the men claimed they had never been treated like that before and would ship their items at another store.

“That UPS store was great. They helped us out, they took pictures of the people, they provided us pictures of of the suspects and of the vehicle,” Garrett said.

In the meantime, the HPD said it learned the Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) was investigating a similar burglary at a Sunglass Hut from Sunday, Jan. 26 where the suspects broke through a wall to get into the store.

According to the MPD, more than $284,000 worth of merchandise and $2,000 in cash was taken from the eyewear store along Medical Center Parkway.

“The crime data analysts with MPD’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) played a significant role in tracking the suspects’ movements. They identified a 2022 Pacifica minivan, rented in Miami, Florida, as the vehicle used in the heists,” the MPD said, adding that the minivan was spotted Wednesday in Goodlettsville, where the suspects tried to ship three boxes of stolen sunglasses to Miami but were refused service when the wouldn’t open the boxes.

Using information from UPS and the MPD, as well as license plate recognition (LPR) cameras, Garrett said law enforcement tracked the suspects’ rental vehicle to Rutherford County, so the Smyrna Police Department stopped them. The MPD reported the trio was detained at a UPS store in Smyrna, where they had already paid to ship the stolen goods to Florida, but officers intercepted the shipment and seized the minivan.

“We basically, with the assistance of others, have stopped a major crime ring,” Garrett said.

“These arrests underscore the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing in combating organized crime,” said MPD Detective Aaron Gonzalez. “This case highlights the importance of using modern technology like LPR cameras, support from our crime data analysts and other law enforcement agencies.”

As a result of the collaboration between the HPD and the MPD, authorities said they determined the suspects were involved in burglaries at two Sunglass Hut locations in South Carolina, resulting in the theft of more than $1 million in merchandise from multiple states.

“What were they doing, allegedly, with $1.8 million worth of high-end sunglasses?” News 2’s Andy Cordan asked Garrett.

“From what we understand, they ship them to some address in Miami, and from what they do with them from there, from Miami, we’re not 100% sure. We haven’t got that far yet. This is still…a little over 24 hours since we began this investigation,” the commander replied.

The HPD said 52-year-old Xavier Perez of Miami, 48-year-old Alexander Trujillo Gomez of Hialeah, and 27-year-old Lazaro Yansel Salazar Hechavarria of Miami have been charged with the following offenses:

• Theft of property over $250,000
• Burglary
• Vandalism over $1,000

Meanwhile, the MPD said Perez, Trujillo Gomez, and Salazar Hechavarria — who was described as 28 rather than 27 — were facing “numerous charges” in connection with the multi-state organized retail theft ring, including the same three offenses the HPD mentioned above, but added that more charges could be forthcoming in Hendersonville and South Carolina.

As of Thursday, Jan. 30, the three suspects are being held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, each with a $1 million bond, according to the MPD. A hearing is set for Feb. 13 in General Sessions Court.

After they’re done in Rutherford County, the suspects are expected to go to Sumner County to face the charges there.

The HPD is now working with jurisdictions across the U.S. to trace the alleged crime spree from Florida to South Carolina to Tennessee. If you have any information about this case, you’re asked to call the HPD at 615-822-1111 or Hendersonville Crime Stoppers at 615-594-4113.