Cops: Men Tricked Woman, Stole Rolex & Cash
MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) - An aspiring model didn't exactly get a picture perfect experience after she hooked up with two guys who said they were from a Miami Beach modeling agency and wanted her to do a photo shoot for them.
Gabriella Laslau, 25, told police she met Myles Watkins, 20, about a month ago in the pool area of the Roney Palace on Collins Avenue; at the time he said he and his partner, 21-year-old Phillip Valdez, worked for the Elite Modeling Agency. Over the course of the next few weeks, Laslau said Valdez and Watkins attempted to convince her to do some modeling for their agency. She finally agreed.
On Monday, Laslau said she met them around 5:45 p.m. and they drove her to a spot near the Bank of America building in downtown Miami. Laslau said it was then that Watkins pulled a gun from the glove box, pointed it at her head and asked her where her Rolex was. Valdez then reportedly pulled out a stun gun and Laslau told them the watch, valued at around $15 thousand, was back at her apartment.
"I thought he will kill me for a stupid Rolex," said Laslau. "They are very dangerous."
When they arrived back at Laslau's building, Watkins stayed in the vehicle to keep an eye on Laslau while Valdez went up alone. He came back down a short time later and the trio drove to the Miami Beach Library on 22nd Street where the men let Laslau out.
When she got back to her apartment, she found that not only was her Rolex gone so was her cell phone and several hundred dollars.
Charged with robbery and kidnapping, both men are being held without bond.
CBS4's Gio Benitez showed the mugshot of one of the men to Laslau. She turned away.
"I'm terrified. I don't want to see him. I don't want to see him," she said.
Elite Modeling confirmed to CBS4 that neither Watkins or Valdez has ever worked for the agency.
