Romanian Couple Accused of Necklace Heists Across Four States
ICE arrests Romanian couple accused of stealing necklaces via ‘hug-and-snatch’ scams in multiple states.
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Rudi Lacatusu, 28, and Mirabela Lacatusu, 26, were arrested earlier this month and each charged with three counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, according to Nassau County police. The couple allegedly targeted elderly victims in a series of ‘hug-and-snatch’ thefts, using a deceptive method to steal valuable necklaces.
Police say the pair would pull over and ask someone for directions, and after the person helped, Mirabela would get out and offer a thank-you hug. While her arms were around the victim, she would unclasp the necklace, and the couple would drive away. In one Valley Stream case, a 73-year-old woman noticed her roughly $2,000 gold chain was gone only after the car had left.
In another incident, the woman was told it was Mirabela’s “custom” to give a gift and that refusing would offend her. The gift was a fake. Her real chain was gone. Investigators have linked the pair to incidents across four states.
#EXCLUSIVE A hug to say “thank you”—then a missing necklace…
Victims in the Nassau cases were mostly in their 70s. One senior in Floral Park stopped the theft when the couple started to hug and grab. “If some stranger’s coming out of the car and they want to give you a hug, that’s a no-no,” Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said, according to a CBS News report.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told News Nation’s Ali Bradley, “Thanks to local partners in New York, these illegal aliens are in ICE custody and will be removed from our country… If it were up to sanctuary politicians like Governor Kathy Hochul, these criminals would be back on the streets to rob more Americans.” The couple has now been turned over to ICE and will be sent back to Romania.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
