The Martin County Sheriff's Office announced arrests in a retail theft ring that targeted hardware stores across Martin, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties from December 2025 to April 2026. Major Ruben Romero said Johnny Batista, 19, Roberto Hernandez-Castro, 39, and Roberto Aldana-Ferrera, 31, were all involved in the burglaries dubbed Operation Hammer Time. At least 40 stores across 13 counties were burglarized, with roughly $500,000 worth of property stolen, plus additional damage to stores.
According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, hardware stores in Stuart, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, Lake Worth, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and West Palm Beach were among those targeted, as well as stores in Broward County. The crews used a sledgehammer or other blunt object to smash glass and often completed the thefts within minutes, before police arrived or alarms were triggered. The stolen goods were taken back to Miami-Dade County, where the suspects lived, to be sold.
Aldana-Ferrera is in custody in Georgia, Batista was arrested in February for a vehicle theft and is in Martin County Jail, and Hernandez-Castro has a warrant out for his arrest. A fourth suspect, Maikell Fleitas, is deceased. Investigators say Batista is connected to the first known theft at Sewell Hardware in Stuart in December 2025. The suspects face charges of racketeering, burglary over $1,000 in damage while masked, burglary of an occupied structure and burglary of an unoccupied structure.