A 23-year-old Hialeah woman is accused of pulling off a late-night scam that sounds like something out of a low-budget crime flick: stage a roadside emergency, lure in two women who had just left a bank, pull a gun and demand cash. Police say the scheme ended with the suspect walking away with only $8 and then landing in county jail after a traffic stop just outside the city. The odd, low-dollar robbery has officers warning residents to think twice before jumping out to help strangers near banks and in parking lots.
According to Local 10, the woman, identified as Laura Elena Leyva, pulled into the Chase branch at 1546 W. 49th St. soon after midnight and began following two female customers after they left. Investigators say she drove alongside them at West 12th Avenue and 29th Street, asked for help with jumper cables, then directed them to the Presidente Supermarket lot at 1060 W. 29th St. Once there, she allegedly pulled out a firearm and demanded money. The victims told detectives they had not taken out any cash from the bank and, frightened, handed over $8 from a center console. They later identified Leyva in a lineup, and records show she was already out on bond for prior felony drug charges at the time, according to police.
Police say they tracked and arrested her
Officers say they kept Leyva under surveillance before stopping her vehicle at Northwest 35th Place and 103rd Street, just outside Hialeah city limits, where she was taken into custody. She was booked into the county jail system and listed as being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with bond marked as "to be set." Miami-Dade's public jail portal, which is updated frequently with housing locations and bond information for recent bookings, allows the public to look up custody status through Dade Jail View.
Potential penalties under state law
Because investigators say she displayed a firearm during the incident, authorities are treating the case as an armed robbery, a first-degree felony under Florida law that carries serious time. Florida Statutes list robbery with a firearm or other deadly weapon as a first-degree felony punishable by a term of years that can go up to life in prison. Related enhancement provisions, including the state’s "10-20-Life" law, can tack on mandatory minimum sentences if a gun is used. If prosecutors decide to pursue armed-robbery counts along with firearm enhancements, the case could quickly turn into a lengthy and high-stakes prosecution for Leyva.
Parking-lot scams and how to avoid them
Officers say the case is a reminder that criminals often lean on basic human kindness, asking for a jump, directions or a couple of bucks to get people out of their vehicles. Safety materials urge drivers to keep doors locked, crack windows only slightly if someone approaches and call 911 if a situation feels off. A public awareness pamphlet from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office highlights these same habits as key ways to stay safer in lots and at ATMs. AAA and similar safety groups also suggest using professional roadside assistance or contacting police instead of putting yourself in a vulnerable position in a dark or isolated parking lot.
Hialeah police are asking anyone who saw the encounter or has surveillance footage from the area to reach out to investigators, according to authorities. For more details on the initial reporting and interviews, see Local 10.
