Suspect arrested after 4-year-old reports inappropriate touching at Hialeah Lowe’s
HIALEAH — A 65-year-old man with a criminal record stretching back more than two decades was arrested this week after a 4-year-old girl told her mother that a man at the Lowe’s located at 1650 West 37th Street had touched her, according to police and court records.
Hialeah police said the child reported the incident to her mother on Saturday. A subsequent forensic interview at the Kristi House Children’s Advocacy Center included the child’s statement that the suspect used his fingers to reach under her dress and touch her several times, the arrest report says.
- Suspect: Jose Cremades, 65
- Location: Lowe’s, 1650 West 37th St., Hialeah
- Allegation: Lewd and lascivious molestation of a 4-year-old
Surveillance video and immediate action
According to the police report, surveillance video from the store shows the suspect crouched at a merchandise display where the girl had been and later walking behind two other girls as they moved through the store. The girl’s mother told officers she had been at a children’s workshop at the store and was at the register paying for a purchase when her daughter left her side.
Hialeah police took Cremades into custody on Tuesday. Prosecutors filed three new cases against him on Wednesday: two petit-theft charges and a charge of lewd and lascivious molestation. At a Wednesday appearance before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer, bond was denied and Cremades was ordered to stay away from the Lowe’s store and from the alleged victim, court records indicate.
“We are doing everything we can to assist local law enforcement,” a Lowe’s spokesperson said in a statement to local media.
Long criminal history in Miami-Dade County
Public court records show Cremades has prior arrests in Miami-Dade County dating back to 2002. Hialeah police arrested him in 2002, 2012 and 2016. Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrested him in 2019 and 2022. Prosecutors filed third-degree grand-theft charges in each of those five prior cases.
Records show Cremades was convicted in four of those five cases and was sentenced to probation. That probation most recently ended on July 25, 2024, according to the court documents cited by police and prosecutors.
| Year | Arresting Agency | Charge (filed) |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Hialeah Police | Third-degree grand theft (filed) |
| 2012 | Hialeah Police | Third-degree grand theft (filed) |
| 2016 | Hialeah Police | Third-degree grand theft (filed) |
| 2019 | Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office | Third-degree grand theft (filed) |
| 2022 | Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office | Third-degree grand theft (filed) |
The records do not specify which of the earlier five cases resulted in convictions, only that Cremades was convicted in four of the five and served probation.
Local impact and next steps
The arrest has raised questions among residents and shoppers about safety at a store that hosts family-oriented events, including children’s workshops. Prosecutors have added the lewd and lascivious molestation charge to petit-theft charges filed this week; additional legal proceedings are pending.
Hialeah police and Miami-Dade prosecutors are handling the active case. As of the court hearing noted in the arrest report, bond had been denied and protective conditions were put in place to keep the suspect away from the victim and the store.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Hialeah police. The store said it is cooperating with law-enforcement efforts.
This report is based on police reports and public court records released to local media. Future court filings and official statements may provide additional details.
