Martin County, Florida – An illegal immigrant was arrested in connection with a high-end burglary in Florida after authorities say he cut off an ankle monitor designed to track his movements and went on a two-year crime spree across the country.
The backstory: According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, a high-end residential burglary occurred in 2023, and detectives were able to obtain DNA samples from the crime scene.
DNA samples were entered into CODIS, a national database used by law enforcement to track down criminals.
Initially, investigators claimed there was no DNA match, but in 2024, Jean Stefano Merinovejar, 35, was arrested in Miami-Dade County on similar burglary charges, triggering the match.
MCSO said it immediately applied for an arrest warrant, but added that before the warrant could be served, Merinovejar was released from the Krome Detention Center due to a lack of bed space.
Dig deeper: He was given an ankle monitor to track his movements, but he disconnected it, allowing him to evade capture and continue committing crimes, according to MCSO.
Merinovejar was arrested once again in Washington in October 2024. He was charged with criminal use of personal identification, but was released.
According to the MCSO, Nevada authorities recently arrested him for criminal use of false identification. Officials contacted the Martin County Sheriff’s Office about the active warrant.
The MCSO Fugitive Warrants Unit traveled to Nevada on Monday and apprehended Merinovejar, who was later extradited to Martin County.
According to detectives, he attempted to escape from their custody but was unsuccessful.
Merinovejar is being held in the Martin County Jail on a $500,000 bond with an ICE detainer.
