A man and woman have been arrested after allegedly ransacking a Florida couple’s home days after they died in a helicopter crash in Kenya, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of belongings, including cars and valuable artwork. The Coral Gables home belonged to Henry Parra, 55, and Adam Hlavaty, 42, who were among seven people killed in a helicopter crash on August 19 in Kenya’s Samburu County. Police believe Geybert Alexander Garcia, 40, and Melany Perdomo, 24, ransacked the couple’s home between August 20 and 22, Local 10 reports.
The couple’s housekeeper discovered the burglary Sunday and found that personal and business documents, jewelry, electronics and artwork were missing. Their 2023 Land Rover and 2020 Porsche Taycan were also allegedly stolen, according to the arrest report obtained by the outlet. It remains unclear how the suspects allegedly learned of Parra and Hlavaty’s deaths or whether investigators believe their deaths played a role in the burglary.
Authorities traced the stolen property to Garcia and Perdomo’s home in northwest Miami-Dade using a signal from the couple’s MacBook and location data from their Land Rover. When Coral Gables police and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant Tuesday, they allegedly found Garcia hiding in a closet and Perdomo in an upstairs bedroom. Officials found the late couple’s personal documents, Land Rover key fob and several pieces of artwork, including a sculpture valued at more than $500,000, in the suspects’ home.
Tools that could be used for identity theft were also located, according to the arrest report cited by Local 10. A Ford F-250 with an altered VIN was also found at the property and was determined to have been stolen from Indian River County, investigators said. Garcia and Perdomo were each arrested Tuesday on charges including burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of a vehicle and grand theft.
During a court hearing Wednesday, Garcia’s attorney, Paul Basile, presented a signed and notarized document that he said gave Garcia permission to enter the victims’ home and possess their vehicles. But Lauren Bailey, a family friend of the victims, told the court that she did not believe the document was legitimate. Secondly, they would have never done so.
They have a live-in maid that comes to the house every day. There would be no need to do such a thing.” Bailey also described the condition of the house after the alleged break-in, saying the door had been destroyed and a security camera had been ripped from the property. Prosecutor Nessa Eth asked Coral Gables Police Detective Wilfredo Diaz whether he believed the document presented in court was legitimate.
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