Florida man allegedly steals 400 pounds of avocados to buy Christmas presents for children

A Florida man was arrested this week after allegedly stealing hundreds of pounds of avocados from a Miami-area grove, according to police.

Edel Perez, 29, was arrested after deputies said they saw him leaving a fenced avocado grove with bags of avocados estimated to weigh about 400 pounds, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit.

Perez allegedly told police he was unemployed and was planning to sell the stolen fruit to buy Christmas presents for his two children.

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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.

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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.

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

Kennedy Center president demands $1M from jazz musician who canceled Christmas Eve show

The president of the Kennedy Center on Friday sharply criticized longtime jazz musician Chuck Redd for canceling his Christmas Eve performance days after the White House announced that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the iconic performing arts institution in Washington, D.C.

Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell said Redd's decision financially harmed the nonprofit institution, and he would seek $1 million in damages, accusing him of carrying out a "political stunt."

"Your decision to withdraw at the last moment — explicitly in response to the Center's recent renaming, which honors President Trump's extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure — is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution," Grenell wrote in a letter to Redd, obtained by Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach Redd for comment.

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Redd, who has hosted holiday Jazz Jams at the venue since 2006, abruptly canceled his Christmas Eve performance after Trump's name was added to the facility.

"When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert," Redd told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

On Dec. 18, the Kennedy Center’s board voted unanimously to rename the institution the "Trump-Kennedy Center."

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The update was immediately criticized by members of the Kennedy family who argued it undermined the legacy of President John F. Kennedy.

Maria Shriver, Kennedy’s niece, reacted harshly to the decision, saying it was "beyond comprehension."

Several artists have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center since Trump's return to office, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, who called off a production of "Hamilton."

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Kennedy Center vice president of public relations Roma Daravi told Fox News Digital Friday that Redd was politicizing art by calling off his performance.

"Any artist canceling their show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled—they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people," she said in a statement.

Daravi stated that art is "a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude," calling the venue "a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds."

She added that "great art transcends politics," and that "America’s cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences."

Last week, workers added President Trump’s name to the building's exterior, and the website header was updated to read, "The Trump Kennedy Center."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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