MIAMI – A 36-year-old man was arrested Sunday after he allegedly stole a Rolls Royce outside a luxury condominium building in Miami, authorities confirmed.
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According to an arrest report, the vehicle had been parked outside the Paraiso Bayviews building at 501 NE 31st St. when it was stolen.
It was then found that same day parked at a Shell gas station at 5343 NW Seventh Ave.
According to the report, an officer responded to the gas station due to the Rolls Royce “pinging in the area.”
Miami police said the officer spotted the vehicle with its driver’s side door and trunk open.
A customer at the gas station then flagged down the officer and said the man who had been driving the car was now across the street in the AutoZone parking lot, having an argument with a witness.
According to the report, the suspect, James Brown, of Miami, took off running when he spotted the officer’s vehicle approaching.
Police said Brown ran through the parking lot and hopped a fence before being taken into custody in the area of Northeast Seventh Court and 54th Street.
According to the report, the victim told police that he had left his vehicle with valet workers in front of the building and told them to watch over it while he ran upstairs to get his wallet.
Police said the victim had left the vehicle running and unlocked, although he had possession of the keys.
A short time later, Brown walked up to the valet area and said, “This is my car,” before getting inside and taking off, authorities said.
According to the report, the witness who had confronted the suspect told officers that his brother informed him that the vehicle was pinging in the area, so he went to the gas station and then spotted Brown getting out of the vehicle.
The witness then followed him to the AutoZone parking lot where he confronted him, authorities said.
According to the report, Brown declined to speak with detectives.
He was arrested on charges of grand theft of a vehicle and resisting an officer without violence.
As of Monday morning, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where his bond was listed as “to be set.”