MIAMI, Fla. — A mother and son from Naples have pled guilty to charges stemming from a violent armed robbery of $750,000 worth of gold jewelry from a business owner in Hialeah.
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Julian Flores, 25, and his mother, Lourdes Diaz, 56, admitted to their roles in the September 16, 2023, heist during which Flores brandished a revolver and attacked the victim.
According to court documents, the victim was loading a suitcase filled with jewelry into a vehicle in a Hialeah parking lot when Ms Diaz backed up a white rental SUV nearby, allowing Mr Flores to exit the vehicle wearing black clothing and a ski mask.
Armed with a revolver, Flores reportedly approached the victim, attempting to steal the suitcase. When the victim resisted and called for help, Mr Flores is said to have struck the victim multiple times with the firearm and fired a shot into the ground before taking the suitcase and fleeing with Ms Diaz.
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Law enforcement arrested Flores on October 2, 2023, and reportedly found him wearing gold jewelry from the stolen collection. Diaz was arrested the following day after hiding the victim’s stolen jewelry in a safe at an associate’s residence.
According to court documents, the safe was recovered during a search warrant execution, and the stolen jewelry was returned to the victim.
On November 22, 2024, Ms Diaz pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence. Mr Flores entered a guilty plea to the same charges, including discharging a firearm during the crime, on November 26, 2024.
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Each defendant faces up to life in prison. U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian will determine their sentences after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson, and Hialeah Police Chief George Fuente announced the guilty pleas.
The ATF and the Hialeah Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson is prosecuting the case.
