A Hialeah man faces felony charges after Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies caught him with 142 avocados worth $852 at a South Miami-Dade grove, according to WSVN.

Duniel Areces-Gonzalez, 37, was spotted late Sunday night, Aug. 9, when a deputy on patrol noticed a white pickup truck parked at the end of a driveway at the Brooks Tropical grove at 15101 SW 200th St., according to an arrest report cited by Local 10. He was formally arrested Monday, Aug. 10.

The deputy was conducting grove checks as part of Operation Safe Summer 2026, a sheriff's office initiative that sends patrols through agricultural properties in the rural corridor south and west of Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.

Deputies found 17 avocados in the bed of the truck and four black construction bags filled with more fruit beside it. A further search of the grove turned up two additional bags. Areces-Gonzalez was the registered owner of the truck, according to the arrest report.

He was transported to the sheriff's office Agricultural Patrol Section, where an investigator attempted to interview him.

"Why do I need to speak to you? I was caught stealing avocados," Areces-Gonzalez told the investigator, according to the arrest report.

Areces-Gonzalez was charged with third-degree grand theft and trespassing. Under Florida law, theft of property valued at $750 or more qualifies as third-degree grand theft, a felony. As of Monday, Aug. 10, he was being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $3,000 bond.

The arrest comes as the Agricultural Patrol Section has cut produce theft and horse slaughter incidents in half since 2023 through targeted investigations, according to a Miami-Dade County press release.

Residents who spot suspicious activity near groves or agricultural properties can report it to the Agricultural Patrol Section through the county's online reporting portal.