A Romanian national couple accused of running a jewelry theft scheme that preyed on elderly victims across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland is now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday.
Rudi Lacatusu, 28, and Mirabela Lacatusu, 26, are accused of carrying out at least 14 jewelry thefts, according to DHS, which cited local reporting. The stolen necklaces were each valued between $2,000 and $3,000.
One alleged incident began in Valley Stream, New York. Nassau County police said a 73-year-old woman was standing outside her home on Oct. 5 when a gold Mitsubishi pulled up carrying a man and a woman. The female passenger asked for directions to a nearby BJ’s Wholesale Club. After the resident helped her, the passenger got out, asked for a hug, and placed two gold-colored necklaces around the woman’s neck, detectives said.
Shortly afterward, the resident discovered her own gold necklace, worth roughly $2,000, had vanished during the encounter.
Investigators tied the pair to similar thefts in Franklin Square and East Meadow. Each suspect faces three counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, according to Nassau County police.
Nassau County authorities had initially issued the couple appearance tickets directing them to court in Hempstead on Oct. 20, according to the department’s arrest announcement, before turning them over to ICE. DHS said both entered the United States illegally, though the agency did not specify when or where.
DHS Uses Case to Target Sanctuary Policy
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin used the arrests to criticize New York’s sanctuary policies and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul directly.
“This ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ illegal alien couple from Romania has been charged with grand larceny after allegedly carrying out more than a dozen jewelry thefts across four states. Thanks to local partners in New York, these illegal aliens are in ICE custody and will be removed from our country,” Mullin said.
“If it were up to sanctuary politicians like Governor Kathy Hochul, these criminals would be back on the streets to rob more Americans,” he said.
DHS described New York as a “hotbed of illegal alien crime” under Hochul and argued the state’s sanctuary policies have caused “disastrous consequences” beyond its borders.
The announcement comes on the heels of Operation Rotten Apple, an ICE enforcement push that ran from July 27 through Aug. 29. DHS said the operation resulted in 2,197 arrests of illegal immigrants across New York, including individuals the agency described as murderers, rapists, child predators, drug traffickers and violent assailants.
Police Warn Residents About Distraction Scams
The case has prompted Nassau County police to issue warnings to residents, particularly elderly people, about distraction scams. Tactics can include strangers offering jewelry or gifts, asking to pray together, requesting change, or seeking help with a flat tire. While a victim’s attention is diverted, police say, thieves can remove jewelry directly from the person’s body.
Authorities are urging residents to remain alert in parking lots and outside grocery stores and to call 911 to report suspicious activity. Anyone who believes they were targeted in a similar scheme is asked to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.
