A Miami hospital worker has been arrested and charged with grand theft and exploiting an elderly person following the disappearance of a 75-year-old patient's $45,000 Rolex, according to police reports. Yudier Sanchez, 46, was taken into custody last Friday after an internal investigation by Keralty Hospital and surveillance footage appeared to show Sanchez pocketing the woman’s Rolex, stated in a report by NBC Miami.
When she was admitted to the hospital on September 29, 2024, at Keralty Hospital, located at 2500 Southwest 75th Avenue, the victim's jewelry was removed for safekeeping, and after being discharged over a week later, the victim's daughter found the watch missing. Caught on camera, Sanchez was observed handling the jewelry and at one point, simulated placing the watch back into the envelope, which he instead placed into his jacket pocket, as reported by the hospital's risk management. Despite Sanchez's denial of the theft, he could not explain the whereabouts of the watch, and it remains missing to this day.
Detailed by Local10 News, Sanchez entered a plea of not guilty during his court appearance where he faced both grand theft and exploitation charges. The judge granted him a $10,000 bond and Sanchez has since bonded out of jail.
In regards to the case, Sanchez's defense attorney argued against the exploitation charge, alleging that his client never had direct contact with the patient. The judge, however, dismissed these claims, pointing out the fact that the watch was never recovered. For the patient's family, the stolen item isn’t merely a missing luxury but holds inestimable sentimental value as a gift from her late husband. As she told NBC Miami, the Rolex is "priceless to her family." Keralty Hospital has fired the accused employee and has yet to provide a public response to the incident.
