Posted on 01/19/2016 10:20:59 AM PST by nickcarraway
As wrecking crews begin demolition on a Miami Beach mansion once owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, police and the current owners are investigating a very mysterious and very recent theft at the property.
The pink waterfront mansion, located in the 5800 block of North Bay Road, was owned by Escobar in the early 1980's before it was seized by the U.S. government 1987, then purchased by a private owner in 1990. s The current owners, Chicken Kitchen owner Christian de Berdouare and his wife, former NBC 6 anchor Jennifer Valoppi, purchased the home in 2014. The home has been vacant in preparation for demolition, according to a report from Miami Beach Police.
Before demolition was slated to begin, de Berdouare and Valoppi hired professional treasure hunters to comb through the structure first for traces from Escobar's days. The endeavor was being filmed for a documentary on the mansion's history. The couple planned to build a new home on the property.
According to police, a burglary took place sometime in October 2015. The homeowners were aware that a grill and a generator had been stolen from the garage, but opted not to file a police report at the time.
On Tuesday, Jan. 12, just one week before demolition was set to begin, a handyman discovered that aside from the grill and generator, thieves had stolen a 10-inch round metal safe previously hidden under a staircase in the home. According to a police report, the handyman first noticed the safe when the couple purchased the home in 2014, and stated that it was flush and surrounded by marble. de Berdouare and Valoppi were reportedly unaware of the safe because it was underground, police said. The handyman also noticed several broken tiles and large hole in the area where the safe was once located.
The homeowners filed a police report Sunday regarding the grill, the generator, and the mysterious safe. Police are investigating. Meanwhile, demolition began promptly at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The Miami Beach mansion that once belonged to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is slated to be demolished by the current owners Tuesday morning. (Published 3 hours ago)
U.S. authorities say it's unclear whether Escobar ever spent any time in Miami Beach, though his men likely used the property as a hideout.
Escobar's drug cartel was responsible for much of the cocaine imported into the United States in the 1980's and 1990's.
yep, and he’s going to open it at the next Trump rally today, that is what all the excitement is about, I just knew it.
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