Man Living At Miami Airport Stole $9,000 Suitcase To Look Like A Passenger

A man was arrested at Miami International Airport on Thursday, August 13, for stealing a passenger’s suitcase weeks earlier from an American Airlines baggage carousel. Surveillance video shows that he took the bag to a third floor men’s restroom, stayed there “for a while,” then left the terminal using the MIA Mover. He was found on August 13 loitering in the same baggage claim area, still in possession of the stolen bag, and he gave police a full confession. The charges are a third degree felony because the stolen bag’s contents were worth about $9,000. The man explained he’d been living at the airport after ‘losing his lease’, and that he took the bag to make himself look like a passenger so he could blend in. He hadn’t removed anything from it, though he said he would have taken clothing from it if he’d needed clothes. There does appear to be a year-old eviction docket matching the man’s name in Miami that may be related to the reported ‘lost his lease’ explanation for how he became a resident of the Miami International Airport. The man was already facing another third-degree grand theft charge from stealing a guest’s backpack from the Element Miami Brickell hotel on May 31. He was released on felony bond in that case. Since he was arrested for a new felony while already on pretrial release he wasn’t granted bond in this case. I think he ought to get credit for taking the bag merely to blend in and not even taking anything out of it for himself when the contents were reportedly worth nine grand! Homeless often choose airports because they are busy, sheltered and have a police presence. In 2024, officials knew of approximately 21 people living at the Miami airport. Topics on this page