Exclusive: Attempted burglary suspect has 80 convictions, 107 arrests in Miami-Dade
MIAMI - Assistant Miami Police Chief Armando Aguilar says he has never seen a case like this in his career.
He says he discovered that 58-year-old Antonio Giovani Rodriguez, of Hialeah, who was caught on camera and arrested after trying to break into a home in the Miami neighborhood of Flagami.
Rodriguez had been arrested 107 times in Miami-Dade. His record goes back to the mid-1990s, with 80 convictions, nearly all of them for burglaries and grand thefts.
CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench obtained exclusive doorbell camera video of the suspect from the recent crime and spoke with Aguilar.
Aguilar said, "I have been doing this job for over 22 years. I don't think I've ever seen a rap sheet this long. Even though these are considered non-violent crimes, any one of them could turn deadly if he encounters a victim."
Aguilar said, "It's a case we are taking very seriously and we're concerned for the safety of members of our community that he victimized. We are working closely with the State Attorney's Office to make sure this doesn't happen again. He is being held without bond. I definitely believe in 2nd chances and 3rd chances but we are definitely well past that."
"As a result of this arrest, he is charged in two other cases as well," said Aguilar. In this case, he kicked the door numerous times but he didn't get in. Thankfully, he did leave and we are able to get, thanks to CSI, a finger print. He was arrested after we received a need-to-identify flyer."
Aguilar says the latest crime happened at 4 p.m. on April 17th and Rodriguez was arrested on April 21st.
"He was certainly very persistent and what he did first was knock on the front door and it's estimated that 80 percent of burglars will knock first and see if anybody is there before they go inside," said Aguilar. "And if somebody is there they will make up a story like saying they're are looking for Peter and when they are told he does not live there, they will move on."
Aguilar said, "It's important to take the steps for safety like getting a doorbell camera for safety so your home can be monitored remotely and get evidence to police so they can solve this crime."
Aguilar said Rodriguez was being held without bond and said, "We are working very closely with the State Attorney's office to make sure this does not happen again. Rodriguez is being held without bond."
Anyone who recognizes Rodriguez from the doorbell camera video and thinks that they too were victimized should call police.
Aguilar said Rodriguez's rap sheet also includes other charges including cocaine possession in 2007 and stealing a car, resisting an officer and petty theft in the mid-1990s in Miami-Dade.
