Full Breakdown
Burglary of Coral Gables Home After Kenya Helicopter Crash
8/28/2026, 2:36:35 AM
Core Event
Police allege that Geybert Alexander Garcia, 40, and Melany Perdomo, 24, entered the Coral Gables residence of Henry Parra, 55, and Adam Hlavaty, 42, sometime between August 20 and August 22, 2026. The couple, among seven killed in a safari-heli crash in Kenya’s Samburu County on August 19, had left the home on August 12 and arranged for a housekeeper to check the property daily. Investigators say the suspects stole personal and business documents, jewelry, electronics, a sculpture valued at more than $500,000, a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover and a 2020 Porsche Taycan. The housekeeper discovered the break-in on August 23.
Background & Context
The Kenya crash killed five Americans, including Parra—a former Navy aviation support technician and co-founder of an aviation-maintenance firm—and Hlavaty, a real-estate executive. The victims also included media executive José Alberto Suárez and restaurateur Roger Duarte. Their deaths were widely reported in U.S. media, providing the context for the subsequent burglary.
Investigation Findings
- Digital tracking: A ping from a stolen MacBook and location data from the Range Rover led officers to a residence on Northwest 195th Terrace in northwest Miami-Dade.
- Search warrant: Police found Garcia concealed in a second-floor closet and Perdomo in an upstairs bedroom. A Ford F-250 with an altered VIN, stolen from Indian River County, was also located.
- Legal status: ICE officials said Perdomo is in the United States illegally and placed her on an immigration hold. Garcia is a U.S. citizen.
Official Statements & Responses
- Prosecutor Nessa Eth asked Detective Wilfredo Diaz whether the notarized document presented by Garcia’s attorney was legitimate; Diaz responded that he believed it was fraudulent.
- Judge Mindy Glazer, presiding over the bond hearing, ordered both defendants to remain jailed without bond and barred them from the victims’ property.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Document legitimacy: Garcia’s attorney, Paul Basile, claimed a notarized document gave Garcia permission to use the victims’ vehicles and enter the home. Both the prosecutor and Detective Diaz described the document as fraudulent, while a family friend, Lauren Bailey, testified that the victims were out of the country and would not have signed such a paper. The court has not ruled definitively on the document’s authenticity.
- Immigration status of Perdomo: ICE statements label Perdomo an illegal immigrant, yet her arrest record lists Florida as her birthplace. Sources differ on whether she entered the United States legally.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There is no way that they could possibly have signed that document,” — Lauren Bailey
- “It’s notarised and signed by three other individuals granting him permission to have possession of those vehicles as well as granting him permission to enter the premises,” — Paul Basile
These quotations capture the contested document and the attorney’s claim about notarized permission.
