In a bizarre turn of events, a couple from Miami-Dade County turned a family outing into a criminal operation, leading to their arrest in Hollywood. The incident, which unfolded last Friday, has raised concerns about vehicle theft and child safety in South Florida.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects as Jeyson Javier32, of Opa-locka, and Daniela Alfonso Dominguez25. The couple’s alleged crime spree came to an end thanks to the keen eyes of detectives from the agency’s Burglary Apprehension Team.

The Heist Unfolds

Detectives were already on the trail of a Honda Civic when they spotted Javier exiting the vehicle with a skateboard in hand. He then approached a parking lot at 2200 S. Ocean Drive in Hollywood, where he forcefully entered a 2026 Honda CR-V.

Using sophisticated techniques, Javier allegedly re-programmed the vehicle’s key fob and drove off in the stolen SUV. The Civic followed the CR-V back to Miami-Dade, where Javier stopped the vehicle in Miami Gardens. Here, he reportedly removed the SUV’s GPS unit before driving it to an apartment complex at 20401 NW 17th Avenue in Miami Gardens.

The detectives noted that this behavior was consistent with the suspect utilizing an apartment complex as a cool down location for the stolen vehicle. Javier then re-entered the Civic and drove away, only to be stopped by authorities near Northwest 27th Avenue and 183rd Street.

Child Found Asleep in Vehicle

Upon apprehending the suspects, deputies discovered their daughter sleeping in the back seat of the Civic. The vehicle was found to contain multiple items believed to be used for stealing vehicles. Both Javier and Dominguez declined to speak with detectives.

The couple now faces charges of grand theft autopossessing burglary tools with intent to useand child neglect without great bodily harm. Additionally, Javier has an out-of-county hold for grand theft of a motor vehicle. As of Tuesday morning, Javier was being held at the Broward County Main Jail without bond, while Dominguez was no longer appearing in the online jail database.

Protecting Your Vehicle

In light of this incident, authorities and experts have shared several tips to help vehicle owners protect their cars from tech-savvy thieves:

  • Park in a secured garage whenever possible.
  • Lock your car doors and consider installing a secondary GPS tracker to help locate your vehicle if it’s stolen.
  • Install surveillance cameras where your car is parked to deter thieves and capture evidence.
  • Use a key fob with an ignition kill feature that can only be deactivated when the same fob unlocks the vehicle.
  • Immobilizing-type devices can prevent thieves from bypassing your vehicle’s ignition system.
  • On-board diagnostics port locks can block thieves from plugging in cloning devices.
  • Remote kill switches can cut the power to vital car systems with a key fob.
  • Visible steering wheel locks can act as a deterrent to potential thieves.

By taking these precautions, vehicle owners can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to sophisticated car theft techniques.