A deplorable Florida duo allegedly swooped in on the home of two men who had perished in a helicopter crash, stealing their prized possessions just days after the fatal accident.
Geybert Alexander Garcia, 40, and Melany Perdomo, 24, are accused of burglarizing the South Florida home of Adam Hlavaty and Henry Parra, two victims of the August 19 helicopter crash in northern Kenya that killed seven people.
The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying from the Loisaba Conservancy toward the Ewaso Nyiro area of Kenya when it crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County.
The pair were arrested Tuesday on charges including burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of a vehicle and grand theft, according to arrest reports.
According to police, the alleged burglary occurred sometime between August 20 and August 22, at Valencia Avenue, Coral Gables, almost immediately after news broke that the men were killed thousands of miles away.
The break-in was brought to authorities attention when it was reported by the housekeeper on August 23.
While the arrest reports do not identify the victims by name, they reference the date of the crash and say the homeowners had been ‘tragically killed in an unforeseen fatal accident while away from the residence.’
The homeowners are being remembered by loved ones as a ‘loving couple who cherished their time together, especially traveling, making memories, and enjoying life with their family and friends.’
Adam Hlavaty and Henry Parra were killed in the helicopter crash in Kenya on August 19. Just days later, police say their Coral Gables home was broken into as a thieving duo made off with their prized possessions
Melany Perdomo, 24, and Geybert Alexander Garcia, 40, were arrested Tuesday on charges including burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of a vehicle and grand theft, according to arrest reports.
The South Florida couple was married in 2017 and enjoyed traveling the world. Hlavaty was the co-founder of Market Group, a real estate development and branded design company and Parra was an aviation software executive from Miami and served as president of the Bimini Bay Homeowners Association
The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying from the Loisaba Conservancy toward the Ewaso Nyiro area when it crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, according to Kenyan authorities. All six passengers and the pilot died. Five victims were US citizens
Although the reports do not identify the victims by name, they reference the date of the crash and say the homeowners had been ‘tragically killed in an unforeseen fatal accident while away from the residence,’ as per NBC reporting
Reverend Eddie Rodriguez, the interfaith minister who officiated their wedding, told WPLG that some couples remain with you long after the ceremony.
‘There are couples that stand out for you, and they certainly did,’ Rodriguez said.
Police say the Valencia Avenue home had been left in complete disarray, with valuable artwork, jewelry, electronics and personal and business documents allegedly stolen.
Even the victims’ prized vehicles were allegedly taken: a Range Rover and a Porsche Taycan.
However, investigators eventually managed to trace one of the victims’ stolen Apple MacBooks to an address in Hialeah.
Investigators also allegedly found the spare key to the Range Rover there.
When police arrived with a search warrant, Garcia allegedly tried to hide in a bedroom closet. Perdomo was found upstairs. Both were then taken into custody according to the arrest reports.
During the search, authorities allegedly discovered numerous documents belonging to the deceased men, the Range Rover key fob and several pieces of their valuable artwork.
The theft was reported to police by the home’s housekeeper on August 23, investigators then traced one of the victims stolen MacBooks to a Hialeah address where they located Garcia and Perdomo attempting to conceal themselves
Garcia appeared in court for his bond hearing on Wednesday but the proceedings took a unual turn when Garcia’s attorney presented a notarized document that he said came from Garcia’s family from one of the victims. The document purportedly gave Garcia permission to enter the victims home and make use of their vehicles
Judge Mindy Glazer remained skeptical of the documents and and ordered a probable-cause hearing. Later that afternoon when the hearing resumed, Garcia was ultimately ordered held without bond. Perdomo remained behind bars on an immigration hold.
The shocking accusations came to light during Garcia’s bond hearing on Wednesday, where prosecutors pointed to his criminal past.
‘Your honor, you’ll see that the defendant’s got prior felony convictions for burglarizing homes, money laundering, dealing in stolen property,’ a prosecutor told Judge Mindy Glazer.
The prosecutor also raised the disturbing possibility that the victims’ deaths had been known to whoever entered their home.
‘I don’t know if this home was specifically targeted because I believe it was in the media that the victims passed away,’ the prosecutor said.
Garcia’s attorney, Paul Basile, however, offered a startling explanation.
He produced a notarized document that he said came from Garcia’s family and allegedly authorized Garcia to enter the home and use the victims’ vehicles.
The document immediately drew skepticism from the judge.
‘Oh I gotta see this,’ Glazer said. ‘Really?’
She questioned why the victims would have supposedly handed over access to their home and luxury cars to Garcia, given his criminal record.
‘Before they went on their vacation, they decided to give Mr Garcia authorization to use their vehicles, Mr. Garcia, who has a criminal history?’
Basile said he could only rely on information provided by Garcia’s family.
But Glazer made clear she was unconvinced.
‘Yeah, I would not give that much weight,’ she said.
Basile further claimed that the notary was a friend of one of the victims.
The judge refused to decide the matter without hearing directly from investigators and ordered a probable-cause hearing.
That afternoon, a detective and a friend of Hlavaty and Parra both testified and both said they believed the purported authorization document was fraudulent.
The victims’ friend also described the damage allegedly left behind after the break-in.
The front door was reportedly destroyed, while a camera and part of the home’s security system were allegedly ripped out.
For Glazer, the circumstances surrounding the alleged burglary were particularly troubling.
‘I’m not going to address anything until I hear from the officers for the probable cause hearing,’ she said. ‘But I mean, it’s pretty egregious to break into somebody’s home of victims who had just perished.’
Following the afternoon hearing Garcia was ultimately ordered held without bond.
Perdomo remained behind bars on an immigration hold.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Garcia’s attorney, Paul Basile for comment.
