In another intriguing tale from Florida, authorities arrested a man accused of orchestrating a substantial theft, not of pizza, but of avocados. Edel Perez, aged 29, found himself in handcuffs after police reported seeing him leaving a Miami-area avocado grove with several bags filled with the fruit. The haul was estimated to weigh approximately 400 pounds, according to an affidavit from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Perez’s explanation for his actions was both personal and seasonal; he allegedly told officers that, being unemployed, his intention was to sell the avocados to afford Christmas presents for his two children.

The arrest occurred in the early hours of December 22, at around 3:10 a.m., when deputies observed a man clad in black attire methodically picking avocados from the grove. His clandestine activity was brought to an abrupt halt by the vigilant law enforcement officials.

Edel Perez was arrested on Dec. 22 after allegedly stealing hundreds of pounds of avocados from a Miami-area grove. (Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office)

At about 3:10 a.m. on Monday, police said they observed a male dressed in all black clothing picking avocados inside the grove.

The avocado grove is fenced and has a “No Trespassing” sign, according to police.

Edel Perez, 29, was arrested after police said they saw him stealing about 400 pounds of avocados, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. (Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office; Mayolo Lopez Guiterrez/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Deputies found bags of avocados in Perez’s Mercedes-Benz and identical bags in the grove with freshly picked fruit.

Police said they also found loose avocados in the vehicle’s trunk.

The avocados had an estimated value of $800, according to the arrest affidavit.

Edel Perez, 29, was arrested after deputies allegedly caught him stealing 400 pounds of avocados, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. (Getty Images)

Perez faces charges of trespassing on an agricultural site and third-degree grand theft.