"Bra bandit" is snapped on camera, say Miami cops

(CBS) WEST MIAMI - A brazen bra burglar is being sought in West Miami, and police are asking for the public's help, CBS Miami reports.

The suspect, seen on videotape obtained by the station, allegedly stole $1,700 in merchandise including bras, panties, and swim suits, according to the owner of the Fajas Colombian women's clothing store.

CBS Miami says the tape shows the suspect jogging quickly from the store cradling the brassieres, underwear and swimwear on Tuesday July 9.

The station reports the tape earlier shows a man on a bike 'casing' the store before breaking in.

"He is first seen riding up on a bicycle," said West Miami Police Chief Nelson Andreu. "You can tell he is staking the place out. He circles around on his cell phone and he returns with a pry bar to break open the window. He flees with the items and he even returns to pick some of them up."

"I can see someone breaking into a cell phone store where the money value of what they're after is high. But what are they going to get for these undergarments and brassieres and bathing suits?," Andreu asked, before answering his own question.

"They can sell them at a flea market for five bucks apiece and risk being caught in doing this."

The chief said, "This is pretty brazen. It happened just half a block away from our police station."

Andreu continued, telling CBS Miami, "We'd like to get this individual off the street. These businesses in Miami-Dade County are struggling right now and to take a loss like that is not right. Some of these businesses do not have insurance."

Marta Arango has owned Fajas Colombian for the past six years and said she has never been burglarized before.

"It is very strange because West Miami is very secure," she said. "Nothing like this has ever happened here before."

Arango said the burglar took between 10 and 15 Leonisa swim suits, 13 Luz Deluna panties and 18 Leonisa brassieres.

"I think it's someone who is probably a drug addict and who was looking for a way to finance his drug habit," Arango told CBS Miami. "It's not normal for something like this to happen. If somebody recognizes him, it would be good to call the authorities so he won't be doing this type of damage and that he can find treatment."