Miami police ask looters: Give the money back

But many residents just laugh

MIAMI (CNN) -- Police went door-to-door in one of Miami's poorest neighborhoods Thursday to ask residents to give back nearly a half million dollars that spilled from an overturned armored truck the day before.

Detectives promised a two-day grace period, expiring at noon Saturday, during which the money can be returned with no questions asked. Those who fail to do so could face criminal theft charges, officials said.

The armored Brink's truck was carrying $3.7 million when it overturned on an Interstate 95 overpass. Police say about $400,000 in coins and bills was scooped up by hundreds of people who swarmed to the area.

Detectives recorded local television newscasts Wednesday to help them identify looters.

'You got the money?'

Dozens of people returned to the accident site Thursday to see if any money remained. Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested one man who climbed onto the expressway where the Brink's truck toppled.

"That place has been picked apart with a fine-tooth comb. There is absolutely no money left," Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Ernesto Duarte said.

Most residents, wary of the police search for money, spoke only on condition their last names not be used. Many laughed when they saw officers at their door.

The suggestion that people in impoverished Overtown should give back the money brought merry laughter.

At tiny corner markets crowded with unemployed men, laughs and mocking cries of "You got the money?" punctuated the afternoon.

'Crimestoppers' offers reward

"They're trying to find out who's got the money," said a woman named Debbie, whose mother's apartment was one of many visited by police. "Nobody's going to tell them."

Police say they are not only intent on recovering the money, but preventing more crimes.

"We're looking for the cash and so are the bad guys," Miami Police Lt. Bill Schwartz told CNN. "If people took a sizeable amount of this kind of money, that could lead to home invasions, and home invasions could lead to homicides, so we're appealing to people's moral values."

No reward is being offered by Brinks. But "Crimestoppers," an anti-crime program organized by area police departments, is offering a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who took money.

Meanwhile, the Brinks driver, Walter Cravero, was charged with careless driving and operating improper equipment because the truck had three bald tires.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

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