Cops say he was stealing from a Family Dollar. His rooftop escape didn’t go well
A man was taken into custody after police say he fell from a Family Dollar store roof during a break-in. He also left behind a hefty $60,000 repair bill.
The burglary happened at 1085 NW 36th St., only a few blocks away from Interstate 95.
Pedro Rodriguez, 55, of Miami entered the store through the roof early Tuesday morning, said a Miami police spokesman.
When police arrived, they found Rodriguez putting more than $7,000 worth of cigarette boxes into a garbage bin, according to the arrest report.
When Rodriguez spotted the officers, he tried to climb up the hole and fell, hurting his back, the report states.
He eventually made it onto the roof and was seen “walking back and forth on the rooftop” before being taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital for his injuries, according to police.
Police said they found a crack pipe with what they believe is cocaine residue in Rodriguez’s front pocket. They also found a wooden hammer with a sharp steel tip, Rodriguez’s bike and a book bag with a screwdriver at the store.
The concealed metal box, which houses the store’s video surveillance systems motherboard, also showed signs of “tampering,” according to police.
“The systems battery was removed, wires were pulled and the mother board including card readers were missing,” the arrest report states.
Rodriguez is facing multiple charges relating to burglary, grand theft and drug paraphernalia and is being held on $27,000 bond.
The store is estimated to have $60,000 in damages.
This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 9:59 AM.
