A Hialeah man was sentenced to over a decade in federal prison on Tuesday for stealing more than $30,000 from a bank before fleeing from police on a bicycle.
FBI agents say Ariel Valero, 45, arrived at Wells Fargo Bank, 12184 Miramar Pkwy., in Miramar the morning after Christmas in 2019 on a BMX-style bicycle, entered the building and demanded money from the bank tellers at gunpoint.
After one of the tellers handed over cash, investigators say Valero asked for more money while pointing the gun at the bank employee. Then he jumped onto the counter, walked to another teller and demanded the money from the drawer.
According to his criminal complaint, Valero placed the money in a plastic bag, exited the bank and left on the bicycle, dumping it near a school about 500 feet away.
When Miramar police arrived at the bank with a K9 unit, they established a perimeter and attempted to track Valero, but he was long gone. Bank video surveillance showed the bank robber was covered in clothing “head to toe,” including his face and hands.
So, how were they able to catch him?
FBI agents say DNA material taken from the bike’s seat indicated a “possible DNA association” to Varelo.
In August 2022, nearly three years after the robbery, agents executed a search warrant authorizing them to collect a DNA swab from Varelo. In October, investigators concluded that the DNA from the bicycle left near the crime scene matched Valero’s.
On May 9, a jury found that Valero was guilty of bank robbery and carrying a firearm during a crime.
After Valero completes his 11-year-prison sentence, he will serve five additional years on supervised release.
