MIAMI — A South Florida television reporter surrendered to Miami police on Thursday after he was accused of stealing his neighbor’s Rolex watch and selling it to a pawn shop.

Michael Andrew Hudak, 29, whose residence is listed on a Miami-Dade County police arrest affidavit as Fort Myers, was charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, dealing in stolen property, grand theft and using a false verification at a pawn shop.

Hudak is a reporter for WSVN, an ABC affiliate in Miami. The television station told the Miami Herald that Hudak was suspended without pay beginning Thursday.

He is accused of stealing the $16,000 Rolex from his neighbor while the latter was traveling abroad, WPLG reported.

According to his arrest report, Hudak sold the watch to U.S. Pawn at 7806 NW Seventh Ave. for $7,000 on Aug. 8. According to the Herald, Hudak signed the transaction form, placed his right thumbprint on the document and showed the clerk his Florida driver’s license during the sale.

According to the arrest report, Hudak’s neighbor reported the watch as missing after returning from Spain on July 18. Hudak, along with other neighbors, told the victim that they did not know anything about the theft.

The victim and Hudak had been neighbors for six months, the arrest report stated.

On Aug. 9, a detective received an email from an online database that tracks stolen goods that the watch’s serial number matched one that had been sold to the pawn shop, the report states.

On Aug. 28, the victim showed police a screenshot of a text message allegedly sent by Hudak, where the man admitted stealing the watch.

“It was a different version of me that took the watch and a different version of me that stole from (my neighbor),” the text read.

Hudak surrendered to police later that day.

He joined WSVN in November 2023 after working at WINK-TV in Fort Myers. WSVN removed his bio from its site on Thursday, the Herald reported.

Hudak is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 26, online court documents show.

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