Man Busted After Series of Copper Thefts at Abandoned Margate Complex

by Ryan Yousefi April 13, 2025

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Rikado St Vil {BSO}

A man has been arrested and charged with a series of commercial burglaries and grand thefts at a vacant office complex in Margate.

According to Margate Police Department arrest records, Rikado St Vil, 36, of Miami, was taken into custody and charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 worth of copper and electrical materials.

According to an arrest warrant, St. Vil is suspected of orchestrating a coordinated string of break-ins at 767 and 777 South State Road 7 between March 5 and March 24. The buildings, which had no legal tenants and posted “No Trespassing” signs, were repeatedly targeted by St. Vil, who allegedly dismantled electrical infrastructure to steal valuable copper wiring.

Surveillance footage, license plate reader technology, and scrap yard transaction records linked St. Vil to the crimes.

St. Vil was ultimately arrested on April 6 after a late-night surveillance operation led by Margate’s Special Operations Division. Utilizing covert police technology, detectives were notified that the known vehicle in the string of thefts had entered the city at approximately 2:55 a.m. and began circling a neighborhood directly across from the burglarized buildings.

Detectives observed two individuals exit the vehicle and move toward the east side of the 767 building. At the same time, the Broward Sheriff’s Office aviation unit tracked the subjects from the air and observed them attempting to smash a window to gain entry. A third suspect exited the vehicle and ran across the street to join the others, and all three were seen entering the building.

Throughout the month-long investigation, Margate detectives used video surveillance from a nearby daycare, trail cameras, license plate reader data, SunPass logs, and scrap yard records to tie St. Vil to the burglaries. Detectives say St Vil and multiple men linked to the thefts completed numerous scrap transactions selling high-grade copper on the same days the break-ins occurred.

St Vil was arrested and transported to the Broward County Main Jail. He was later released after posting a $40,000 bond.

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Ryan Yousefi

Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.