The Martin County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of three men involved in a retail theft ring that targeted more than 40 hardware stores across 13 counties between December 2025 and April 2026. Major Ruben Romero identified the suspects as Johnny Batista, 19, Roberto Hernandez-Castro, 39, and Roberto Aldana-Ferrera, 31. The crew stole roughly $500,000 worth of property and caused extensive damage to stores across Martin, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties, according to Romero.
The suspects hit hardware stores in Stuart, Lake Worth, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Jupiter, as well as stores in Broward County. Investigators say the crews used sledgehammers or other blunt objects 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.
Batista was arrested in February for a vehicle theft and remains in Martin County Jail. Aldana-Ferrera is in custody in Georgia, while Hernandez-Castro has a warrant out for his arrest. A fourth suspect, Maikell Fleitas, is deceased. Romero connected Batista to the first known theft at Sewell Hardware in Stuart in December 2025, though investigators believe burglaries happened earlier.
The suspects face charges including racketeering, burglary over $1,000 in damage while masked, burglary of an occupied structure, and burglary of an unoccupied structure. Romero said the thefts have a broader impact on the community. "There's already inflation that we notice severely in our state, and the more they steal, the more damage they cause, the more expensive things are. People can't go to work because they can't afford the tools." Investigators are still looking for one other suspect.