FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Five people, including a 16-year-old minor, were arrested as part of an investigation into a series of luxury vehicle thefts in downtown Fort Lauderdale, police announced Wednesday. The recovered vehicle included a stolen Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Gun Intelligence Unit, aided by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Burglary Apprehension Team and Aviation Unit, made the arrests late Tuesday.
Three suspects were taken into custody in Fort Lauderdale:
Jaesean Alexies, 19 – charged with grand theft auto, resisting without violence, and no valid driver’s license
Kay’qwon Bruton, 18 – charged with grand theft auto and resisting without violence
Devada Hines, 16 – charged with grand theft auto and resisting without violence
Two additional suspects, identified as alleged buyers of the stolen SUV, were arrested in Miami by Miami Police:
Wayne Corts Jr., 36 – charged with grand theft auto
Jonathan Testaiuti, 37 – charged with grand theft auto
The arrests followed the reported theft of a 2020 G-Wagon from a secured garage at an office building on Northeast Third Avenue on Saturday just before 8 p.m. The vehicle’s owner, Andrew James, said the thieves bypassed security and expertly removed tracking devices.
Security footage captured a suspect entering the garage, breaking into the vehicle, and driving off without the key. Police believe the thieves exploited the vehicle identification number (VIN) and used key-coding technology to gain access.
“This is information I got from the detectives,” James said, explaining how coders can program keys for similar vehicles.
The stolen G-Wagon has since been recovered by police.
This theft is not an isolated incident. A similar theft occurred in late March involving a 2025 G-Wagon from a nearby garage on East Las Olas Boulevard. Authorities believe both cases are connected and investigations continue.
Residents are concerned about vehicle security. “If I can’t park it in the lot of a secure building and lock it, what do I do? Do I chain it?” James questioned.
Sergeant Patrick O’Brien of the FLPD’s auto theft division noted, “They’re taking vehicles and selling them for about a quarter of their value, mostly on encrypted apps like WhatsApp.”
Police sources confirmed that Alexies, Bruton, and Hines face charges related to the theft, while Corts and Testaiuti were jailed for attempting to purchase the stolen vehicle.
