Miami man stole $94k of car parts before fatal Sarasota hit-and-run, court records say
A Miami man was arrested on Friday for his role in a Sarasota hit-and-run last year after stealing $94,000 worth of catalytic convertors from two businesses, court records said.
Edwin Norris, 30, was connected to two business burglaries, where 22 catalytic convertors were stolen, and a fatal hit-and-run that killed a motorcyclist on April 4, 2023. While five suspects were involved in the burglaries, his fingerprints were found on the dashboard of the car that was used during the burglaries and the hit-and-run, court records said.
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On the night of the burglaries and the crash, the owner of All Glass and Windows identified an intruder on surveillance cameras at 9:44 p.m. and called 911. Two deputies arrived by 9:50 p.m., and they noticed a black Audi SUV leaving the area. Security camera footage showed three suspects had cut through the business fence and stole 14 catalytic converters valued at $70,000. Meanwhile, a silver Chrysler minivan was captured circling the area during the burglary.
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At 9:51 p.m., a hit-and-run was reported 0.8 miles from All Glass and Windows. Eyewtiness and surveillance footage showed a motorcycle traveling eastbound on Fruitville Road. As the motorcyclist was entering the Lakewood Ranch Boulevard intersection on a green light, a black Audi running a red light drove in front of the motorcycle. The Audi fled westbound on Fruitville Road, leaving the motorcyclist to die at the scene. He was pronounced dead by the Sarasota County Fire Department at 10:20 p.m.
Deputies shortly after found an abandoned Audi SUV with consistent damage 0.9 miles away from the crash site. They found a black ski mask, a mechanic's glove and a yellow DeWalt Sawzall that's used for cutting metal near the Audi. A home’s security camera recorded four people hiding near a boat at 9:57 p.m. At 10 p.m., a silver minivan arrived to pick up the men.
The Audi was towed by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for forensic processing, and fingerprints from the dashboard behind the steering wheel identified Norris.
The car was registered to Raul Diaz. Diaz told investigators that he rents out the car and tracks it using a GPS device. The GPS data showed the car’s journey from Miami to Sarasota, the stops at the burglary sites and a stop at a restaurant with the driver of the silver Chrysler minivan.
GPS data showed that earlier that night the group went to a nearby restaurant before the burglaries. Video footage from the restaurants was used to positively identity Norris. After eating, the group left in their vehicles at around 8:30 p.m. At 8:43 p.m. GPS data placed the Audi in the parking lot of Arrow Environmental Services, where the manager reported his exterior fence was cut and eight catalytic convertors worth $24,000 were stolen.
Investigators learned that Norris had discussed the incident via email, and a search warrant of his email account showed that he sent an email at 10:29 p.m. saying, “Almost killed someone on a motorcycle just got in a chase we otw back na tho.”
In November 2023, Norris was arrested for an unrelated offense. During an interview, he admitted to being in the car during the accident and described the damage that caused them to abandon the car, court records said.
Norris faces two counts of burglary, two counts of grand theft, a charge for crossing counting lines to commit burglary and a felony murder charge.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Miami man stole $94k of car parts before fatal Sarasota hit-and-run
