A Miami man, Rikado St Vil, 36, has been arrested and charged with multiple commercial burglaries and grand thefts at a vacant office complex in Margate. The arrest follows an investigation into the theft of more than $20,000 worth of copper and electrical materials from two unoccupied buildings.
According to Margate Police Department records, St. Vil was implicated in a series of break-ins at the properties located at 767 and 777 South State Road 7, between March 5 and March 24. The buildings, which had no legal tenants and were posted with “No Trespassing” signs, were repeatedly targeted by St. Vil. The suspect allegedly dismantled electrical infrastructure to steal valuable copper wiring.
Through surveillance footage, license plate reader technology, and scrap yard transaction records, St. Vil was linked to the burglaries. He was apprehended on April 6 following a late-night surveillance operation conducted by the Margate Police Department’s Special Operations Division. Detectives had been tracking a vehicle associated with the thefts and, at around 2:55 a.m., saw it enter the area near the burglarized buildings.
As detectives monitored the scene, they saw two suspects exit the vehicle and move toward the 767 building, while a third suspect crossed the street to join them. Using aerial surveillance from the Broward Sheriff’s Office aviation unit, authorities tracked the suspects as they attempted to break into the building by smashing a window. All three individuals were observed entering the building.
During the month-long investigation, Margate detectives utilized various forms of evidence, including video surveillance from a nearby daycare, trail cameras, license plate reader data, SunPass logs, and scrap yard records, which tied St. Vil to the crimes. It was discovered that St. Vil and other individuals linked to the thefts sold large quantities of copper at scrap yards on the same days as the break-ins.
St. Vil was arrested and taken to the Broward County Main Jail. He was later released after posting a $40,000 bond. The investigation continues as detectives work to identify and apprehend other individuals involved in the thefts.
