Police Arrest Man Accused Of Using Fireworks To Steal Expensive Jewelry

Police believe they may have caught a man behind multiple noisy, distracting mall robberies in Central and South Florida, the Miami Herald reported.

Kevin Pena Triana, 22, is suspected of setting off fireworks inside as many as three crowded malls to distract the masses while he got away with expensive jewelry. He was arrested and is being held in Greenville, South Carolina.

In a Facebook post, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office called it another case of “distraction robbery.”

The spree started on New Year’s Eve, when someone decided to ring in 2018 by lighting fireworks outside a Zales jewelry store in the Sawgrass Mills shopping complex in Sunrise, Florida. Rather than being a year-ending prank, police discovered that someone used the ensuing chaos to make off with a Rolex watch valued at more than $11,000.

Then, on April 8, something very similar happened at Florida Mall in Orlando. A loud bang at the mall was reported as gunfire, which sent people running. There were even injuries as people tried to escape, per the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. However, police arrived on the scene and determined that, once again, the noise was caused by fireworks.

Again, the goal was to steal an expensive watch. The mall incident was captured on video.

The third fireworks theft occurred at Dadeland Mall on April 15, according to the Herald. Surveillance video from each incident revealed physical similarities between the suspects who were present at all three malls.

Police were able to track down Triana thanks to a tip from a pawn shop. He allegedly pawned off one expensive Rolex at the shop but was turned down when he tried to do it again when the owner suspected wrongdoing. The pawn shop owner called the police about it and provided a pawn slip, which helped them find Triana.

Triana was apparently found casing jewelry stores for future robberies in Greenville. Police still have not found the accomplice who set off the fireworks, according to the Orlando Sentinel.