Two arrested for fishing gear thefts following Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigation

Two Miami-Dade County men were arrested Saturday, June 22, for stealing fishing rods in Monroe County following an investigation by Sheriff’s Office detectives.

Ryan Alexander Oliu, 20, of Homestead, and Daniel Aleman, 18, of Miami, were both charged with multiple counts of burglary and grand theft, according to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Adam Linhardt.

The Sheriff’s Office has been investigating thefts of fishing rods primarily in the Middle Keys this month, with Aleman and Oliu as suspects. A be-on-the-lookout was issued for a Honda sedan in relation to the investigation, and the Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle around midnight Saturday on U.S. 1.

The suspects subsequently admitted to fishing rod thefts in Monroe County.

The investigation is ongoing. Additional charges as well as more arrests may be pending, Linhardt said.

Sheriff’s deputies have also been busy in the past week citing anglers for various fishing violations.

Marine Deputy Willie Guerra was conducting resource checks on the north end of the Channel 5 Bridge at Mile Marker 71 at approximately 2 p.m. Sunday when he observed two men spearfishing. After conducting a resource check, both men — Gnuyen Vazquez Jimenez and Serguey Hernandez Delgado, both 35, and both of Lehigh Acres — were given mandatory notice to appear in court citations for reportedly spearfishing in a no-spearfishing area, possession of the over-the-limit mangrove snapper, and possession of undersized dog snapper, according to Linhardt.

Also on Saturday, Lower Keys Deputy Jacob Ladd conducted resource checks and found two anglers in violation.

Pedro Acosta Lopez, 53, of Miami, was given a mandatory notice to appear in court citation for possession of over-the-limit mangrove snapper while fishing at approximately 4 a.m. near the Spanish Harbor Bridge, while Andrew Jackson Ivory, 62, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was taken to jail for possession of a Goliath grouper, and over-the-limit mangrove snapper, while fishing near the No Name Key bridge at approximately 7:30 p.m.

On Sunday, June 23, Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted resource checks on the Spanish Harbor Bridge at Mile Marker 33 at approximately 11:25 a.m. and found Tyrek Jevon Gallagher, 25, of Lauderhill, Florida, to be in possession of an undersized barracuda. He also had no fishing license.

He was given a mandatory notice to appear in court citation, Linhardt said.

For information on wildlife regulations go to www.myfwc.com