A months-long theft spree at a downtown Miami jewelry store came to a close with the arrest of Nubia Milena Torres-Cubillos, 45, following a meticulous police investigation. Miami Police detailed that the Colombian national employed at the jewelry store allegedly spirited away over $100,000 in merchandise between June and August. The stolen items included pieces of a Cuban link chain and various gold bracelets.
The jewelry store's owner initially detected the disappearances in September, which led to a review of store surveillance footage revealing Torres-Cubillos’ activities. According to WSVN, the employee is alleged to have strategically taken high-value jewelry in small amounts to evade detection. The arrest report noted Torres would hide the merchandise inside her purse and sell the items at pawn shops.
Further exacerbating the situation, Local 10 News released surveillance videos showing Torres-Cubillos' methods of theft. "Torres-Cubillos 'appeared to walk unnaturally in an effort to avoid the links making noise,'" the arrest report stated, according to Local 10 News. She apparently concealed stolen items within paper and her clothing, transferring them unseen to various parts of the jewelry store before taking them off premises.
Amongst the pawned items, detectives found multiple pieces of high-value jewelry, including a series of 18K yellow gold Van Cleef style bracelets and a necklace with an emerald stone, each pawned for fractions of their worth. The arrest led to charges against Torres-Cubillos of grand theft, an organized scheme to defraud, and other related offenses. After invoking her right to counsel, Torres remains in custody, with immigration hold further complicating her legal situation.
The arrest on Sept. 9 was captured on police bodycam footage, with officers taking Torres-Cubillos into custody as the investigation concluded. As of now, her bond has been set by a judge, yet she remains behind bars, Miami Police reported.
