CBS4 Exclusive: Victim speaks out as South Miami Police search for credit card thieves
SOUTH MIAMI - A victim is speaking out as South Miami Police are releasing new surveillance video of a man and woman they say are credit card thieves who have struck before.
They also say there are some important lessons to be learned after this troubling case.
Police say the surveillance video shows the man using a stolen credit card at a Hotel and his female accomplice driving a UHAUL truck at a Doral restaurant.
South Miami Police Sergeant Fernando Bosch tells CBS4's Peter D'Oench that the crime happened between 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the night of November 11th after the victim parked her car in a garage near S.W. 66th St. and 57th Ave.
When she returned to her car, she found that her laptop, IPad and backpack with her wallet containing credit cards and her ID had been stolen.
Bosch said, "A male and a female team doing this is a little strange. Usually, we have two males or a couple of females but a couple doing this is a little strange and they used a UHAUL truck. The victim in this case was lucky that they didn't try and purchase something high end but nevertheless, this was a crime. And based on the video and my experience we think that he has done this before because he was very calm while appearing in the hotel."
The victim, whose name is Isabel did not want to show all of her face or give her last name, did agree to speak out.
She said, "Initially I felt very violated. It is the only way you can feel, not just violated but all of the things you have to address because of it. They stole my laptop, an IPad and my wallet which had my credit cards. It would be satisfying to me to have them caught. I hit my valuable under my seat and I locked my car. I don't know how they got in. I was only gone about 45 minutes."
Isabel said, "There is one thing I can say. Basically, check your surroundings to make sure you don't get a bad feeling about things that could happen."
South Miami Police have released a "Need to identify" BOLO or Be on the Lookout for the man and woman. Bosch said the man is a white, Latin male in his mid-30s or mid-40s and has tattoos on his right arm, and is 5'7" to 5'9" tall and about 200 pounds. He said his accomplice is a "white Latin female in her 30s."
He said about 45 minutes after the crime, she is captured on camera behind the wheel of a UHaul truck at a Pollo Tropical restaurant at 1555 N.W. 87th Ave. in Doral, where a stolen credit card was used to charge $61.35 worth of food.
Later that night, Bosch said surveillance tape captured the male suspect inside the Estancia Hotel near Miami International Airport at 7685 N.W. 12th St. using a stolen credit card to charge two rooms for $289.89. He is captured on camera speaking with a desk clerk while checking in and is also seen outside the Hotel by the UHAUL truck.
Bosch said he urges all businesses to check the identification of people using credit cards.
"The victim, in this case, is a female. In this case, it was a male using the female's credit card and in this case, they never asked for identification," said Bosch.
Isabel said she locked her car and kept her valuable items out of sight.
Bosch said that is important.
"Lock your cars," he said. "And don't leave anything of value that is visible."
Anyone who can help South Miami Police with this case should call them or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
