Police officers expect to handle more than speeding tickets during traffic stops. They may encounter drunk drivers or vehicles carrying drugs. Still, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies likely did not expect their shift to end with 400 pounds of avocados in the trunk of a black Mercedes-Benz.

According to the department, deputies spotted a man inside a private avocado grove early Monday morning. The farm sits near Southwest 217th Avenue and 320th Street. It is surrounded by fencing and posted with no-trespassing signs.

Miami deputies spotted suspect harvesting Florida avocados illegally

Deputies say the suspect, 29-year-old Edel Perez, wore a black hoodie and picked avocados inside the grove. Officers watched as he loaded the fruit into the trunk of a nearby vehicle.

Deputies waited until Perez drove away before pulling him over. Inside the trunk, they found bags filled with avocados along with loose fruit. Authorities estimated the haul weighed about 400 pounds and carried a value of roughly $800. Investigators also believe Perez cut through the farm’s fence to access the grove.

Perez told deputies he is unemployed. He said he planned to sell the avocados to buy Christmas presents for his two children. Instead, authorities charged Perez with third-degree grand theft and trespassing on an agricultural site and locked him up. A judge set his bond at $5,000.