A 27-year-old woman has been arrested in Miami on accusations of defrauding elderly residents by posing as a potential buyer and jewelry cleaner, according to police reports. Katherine Coromoto Angulo Rivera is facing multiple charges which include organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and burglary of an occupied dwelling, as first reported by NBC Miami.
Angulo Rivera reportedly used deceptive tactics to gain access to her victims' homes and valuable possessions. In one incident detailed by NBC Miami, she allegedly offered to buy spare items and clean jewelry, which allowed her to abscond with jewelry estimated around $48,500. Approaching a victim on the 5000 block of Northwest Second Street, she executed this scheme by using a blue liquid to ostensibly clean the jewelry, instructing the owner to wait an hour, during which she left with the valuables.
Rivera's bond was set at $7,500 during her court appearance on yesterday. Her alleged criminal activities didn't stop at one instance. Another case cited by police involved a similar tactic in the 5800 block of Southwest Second Terrace, detailed in a report by Local 10. With the same ruse, she managed to divert the attention of an elderly individual, walking away with their jewelry.
The total estimated value of the stolen items is about $50,000. Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales condemned the actions of the accused in a statement, expressing pride in the officers and detectives who apprehended her. "This suspect preyed on the kindness and vulnerability of our elderly residents with a calculated and heartless scheme," Morales said, as quoted by Local 10. The investigation into these incidents remains active, with detectives urging more potential victims to reach out to the Miami Police Department's Burglary Unit or contact Crime Stoppers with additional information.
