The families of two American tourists killed in the Samburu helicopter crash in Kenya have suffered another painful blow after their Florida home was reportedly broken into and valuable property stolen.
Henry Parra, 55, and Adam Hlavaty, 42, were among seven people who died when a helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County on August 19, 2026. The couple lived in Coral Gables, Florida, and had travelled to Kenya before the tragic accident.
Their deaths were followed by another disturbing incident thousands of kilometres away. According to police, their Coral Gables residence was ransacked between August 20 and August 22, shortly after news of their deaths became public.
Investigators said several valuable items were taken from the house, including jewellery, electronics, artwork, cash, personal documents and business records. The thieves also allegedly drove away with the couple’s luxury vehicles, a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover and a 2020 Porsche Taycan.
The total value of the stolen property was estimated at more than $500,000, equivalent to about KSh64 million. Among the items reportedly taken was an artwork believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The burglary was discovered by the couple’s housekeeper, who had been checking on the property while they were away. Police later began tracing the stolen items as investigators worked to identify those responsible for the break-in.
Their investigation reportedly received a major breakthrough after authorities detected a signal from a stolen MacBook. Police also tracked the stolen Range Rover, eventually connecting the property to a residence in another part of the Miami area.
Authorities arrested 40-year-old Geybert Alexander Garcia and 24-year-old Melany Perdomo in connection with the alleged burglary. Police said several items believed to belong to Parra and Hlavaty were recovered during a search of the suspects’ residence.
The recovered property reportedly included documents belonging to the victims, the Range Rover’s key fob and valuable artwork. Investigators also found other items that raised additional questions during the investigation.
The case took another turn during a court hearing when Garcia’s lawyer claimed that his client had permission to enter the property and use the vehicles. The defence reportedly presented a document that was said to give him such permission.
However, a family friend disputed the claim, telling the court that Parra and Hlavaty would not have given the suspects permission to enter their home or take their vehicles. A police detective also questioned the authenticity of the document.
The suspects were ordered to remain away from the Coral Gables property and were held without bond after the judge found probable cause for the charges. The case remains before the courts, and the allegations against the accused have not yet been determined at trial.
The burglary has added more grief to families already struggling to come to terms with the sudden deaths of Parra and Hlavaty.
The helicopter crash itself remains under investigation. The aircraft went down near Mount Ololokwe while travelling in northern Kenya, killing everyone aboard, including Kenyan pilot Josh Outram and five other passengers.
The victims included prominent individuals with connections to the United States, Ecuador and South Florida. The crash attracted international attention because of the nationalities and backgrounds of those who died.
Authorities in Kenya are still working to establish what caused the helicopter to crash. Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, flight information, weather conditions and other circumstances surrounding the accident.
For the families of Parra and Hlavaty, however, the tragedy has now been followed by a separate criminal investigation at their home in Florida. What should have been a period of mourning has instead been complicated by the loss of personal possessions and damage to the residence.
The burglary has also raised questions about how the suspects allegedly knew that the property was unoccupied and why they targeted it so soon after the couple’s deaths. Those questions are expected to form part of the continuing investigation as the legal process moves forward.