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Office of the State Attorney Sixteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Monroe County

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Office of the State Attorney Sixteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Monroe County OFFICE OF THE STATE ATTORNEY SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY DENNIS W. WARD STATE ATTORNEY 530 Whitehead Street, Suite 301 Key West, FL 33040-6547 (305) 292-3400 KEY WEST, April 8, 2019 – A Big Coppitt Key man is heading to prison for 20 years after entering a plea to 25 felony offenses, mostly auto burglary- and theft- related stemming from a January 2018 crime spree, and five misdemeanors. Adrian Jesus Diaz, 21, pleaded no contest on April 3 to seven counts of burglary of a conveyance, six counts of grand theft, three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of burglary while armed with a firearm, two counts of grand theft of a firearm and one count each of grand theft auto, fleeing and eluding (high speed or reckless), possession of cocaine, possessing marijuana over 20 grams and introducing contraband (marijuana) into a penal institution. He also pleaded no contest to two counts each of petit theft and possessing less than 20 grams of marijuana, and one count of driving with a suspended license. Monroe County Judge Mark Wilson handed down the sentence with Assistant State Attorney Christina Cory representing the state. Diaz previously served a year in state prison for burglary, grand theft auto, grand theft, criminal mischief, fleeing and eluding, and operating a chop shop, all of which happened in Monroe County in 2015 and 2016. In the latest cases, most of the auto burglaries and thefts happened in the Bay Point, Rockland Key and Big Coppitt Key areas and were reported to police on January 15, 2018. One Monroe County Sheriff’s Office police report describing the break-in of a 2017 Hyundai on Big Coppitt noted “there had been six different locations of vehicle burglaries reported in the Lower Keys during this same time frame.” Other autos broken into were a Chevrolet, a Jeep, a Silverado, a Ford SUV and a Range Rover. Items stolen included two .38-caliber Smith and Wesson handguns, Rayban sunglasses, wallets, cash, phone chargers, perfume, personal documents, Walt Disney World passes, a dog collar, a first-aid kit, and a restaurant gift certificate. Diaz was apprehended because one of the victim’s home surveillance systems captured footage of the car used in the auto burglary at his house, and he saw Diaz driving the car on his street the next day and called police, who put out a be-on-the-lookout for it. An officer saw it at U.S. 1 and Cross Street on Stock Island, got behind it and attempted to pull it over with his siren and emergency lights on. But the car kept going and traveled through several neighborhoods until a Key West police officer pulled it over on 1st Street. Diaz jumped out and ran but police quickly caught him. Inside the car were some of the stolen goods. When Diaz was apprehended he was wearing a backpack containing three firearms, 251 grams of marijuana and other narcotics-related paraphernalia. In a separate case from January 7, 2018, deputies received a call about a chain saw stolen from a Dodge Ram and the theft of a silver Lexus from a Summerland Key home. A deputy saw it on Drost Drive and police tried to pull the driver over but the car “failed to yield and began driving in a reckless manner at high speeds and passing unsafely.” While approaching the Niles Channel Bridge, the driver passed two cars, forcing them onto the shoulder, and was estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph. The chase through the Lower Keys ultimately involved Sheriff’s Office deputies, Key West police and officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and ended when the Lexus became disabled at the Dion’s QuikMart at U.S. 1 and Ed Swift Road on Big Coppitt Key. Police had used a spike strip to puncture the tires. The driver got away. A person familiar with Diaz gave police Snapchat videos and photos of the Lexus “showing Adrian Diaz in the driver seat of the stolen vehicle and posting photographs/videos of the vehicle, and labeled it ‘New Whip!!’ “ Diaz was charged in this case the same day he was picked up for the Lower Keys auto burglaries. Separately, Diaz was also charged federally with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, which was the 251 grams of marijuana found in the backpack when he was arrested for the auto burglaries. He received seven years in prison, to run concurrently with the 20 years. Contact: Public Information Officer Larry Kahn, (305) 289-2899..
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