PALMETTO BAY, Fla. – Two Broward men were arrested by Miami-Dade police in Palmetto Bay on Tuesday. They were suspected of targeting two customers of Chase Bank in separate robberies that occurred within a span of less than two hours on Monday.
Based on an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Police Department, it appeared that the pair were observing a third Chase Bank branch on Tuesday. Law enforcement authorities intervened and apprehended them later, following a pursuit.
In the initial robbery, a victim took out $3,100 from the Chase Bank branch located at 12795 S. Dixie Highway in Pinecrest. Unaware that he was being trailed, he drove to his apartment just south of The Falls shopping center around 2 p.m. on Monday.
As per the police account, Bervinson Francois, aged 19 and wearing a face mask, exited a silver Genesis G80 with a Miami Heat license plate. He brandished a “small-frame assault pistol” and demanded the money withdrawn from the victim.
According to the arrest report, the victim resisted, resulting in a struggle between him and Francois. The altercation ended when Francois struck the victim on the head with his firearm and took the money from his pocket.
Reportedly, Francois, a resident of Fort Lauderdale, then entered the back seat of the Genesis, while his accomplice, 22-year-old Jose Nahum Elize from Cooper City, drove away.
Approximately an hour and a half later, another victim withdrew $80 in quarters from the Chase Bank branch at 11895 Sherry Lane in Kendall. Unbeknownst to this victim, the duo followed him.
As outlined in the report, a man wearing a ski mask, believed to be Francois, approached the victim. He aimed a gun at the victim and swiftly grabbed the envelopes containing the quarters, causing the coins to scatter on the ground. The victim informed the police that Francois and Elize managed to make away with only around $10.
On Tuesday, detectives specializing in robbery from the Miami-Dade Police Department spotted the Genesis on U.S. 1. They followed it to the Chase Bank located at 18415 S. Dixie Highway in Cutler Bay.
The police stated that Elize and Francois initially parked at the bank’s rear, then repositioned the car to face the front door after moving to the front of the bank.
According to the report, law enforcement activated their emergency lights in an attempt to halt the pair’s escape. However, they drove towards the police, colliding with a detective’s vehicle, before fleeing onto U.S. 1. Another collision occurred at the intersection with Southwest 152nd Street in Palmetto Bay.
Elize was swiftly apprehended by the police, and Francois was captured after attempting to flee down Southwest 89th Avenue. Both individuals were found with masks around their necks.
Based on jail records, as of Wednesday afternoon, Francois and Elize were being detained without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on charges related to armed robbery.
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