After Miami-Dade police announced that a multi-jurisdictional investigation connected three individuals to a string of robberies affecting South Florida bank customers, the suspects were taken into custody on Monday.
Following the victims from different South Florida banks, the suspects—whom the police identified as 25-year-old Amber Dyer, 19-year-old Virgil Lamonte Woodson, and 18-year-old Marcel Rashad Johnson—targeted them for withdrawals back in June, according to the investigation.
According to authorities, the inquiry turned up six occurrences with comparable suspect descriptions and techniques.
To avoid being discovered, the suspects, according to the authorities, would drive rental cars and replace their license plates with stolen ones.
According to the police, the criminals trailed the victims from different Wells Fargo, Chase, and Bank of America branches. Two of those occurrences included individuals who needed medical assistance after being subjected to pistol whipping.
After receiving a tip, detectives recognized Woodson as a suspect and started spying on him, the report said. Woodson was observed by Miami-Dade police operating a 2019 Nissan Altima with fictitious license plates. They claimed that on June 2, he and two accomplices were spotted in bank parking lots in south Miami-Dade.
A 66-year-old lady was attacked later that day at about 6 p.m. as she was on her way back from a Publix grocery next to a Bank of America, according to the police.
Authorities reported that Johnson and the black Nissan Altima were the subject of a “be on the lookout” notice. Subsequently, according to Miami-Dade police, authorities tracked down the car and pulled over Woodson and Dyer during a traffic stop close to the 5000 block of Southwest 116th Avenue.
Police claimed to have discovered a green fluorescent shirt inside the car that fit the victim’s description. Before the traffic stop, Johnson is seen on security film, according to the authorities, throwing away the victim’s pocketbook and many cards.
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Subsequently, the victim acknowledged that the objects thrown out of the car were indeed hers. Police said that after being informed of their Miranda rights, Johnson and Woodson decided not to talk to detectives.
However, Dyer gave up her rights and gave the police a statement, which was later withheld from the public in her arrest record.
According to jail records, Dyer and Johnson are accused of one count each of strong-armed robbery and strong-armed robbery conspiracy. A separate charge of battery on a person 65 years of age or older is also being pursued against Johnson and Woodson.
