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An illegal immigrant couple dubbed "Bonnie and Clyde" by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) allegedly turned strangers’ kindness into a payday, stealing necklaces from elderly victims in a jewelry theft spree stretching across four states.
Rudi Lacatusu, 28, and Mirabela Lacatusu, 26, Romanian nationals accused of targeting victims on Long Island, are now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, DHS announced Tuesday.
The pair allegedly carried out at least 14 jewelry thefts across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland, according to DHS, which cited local reporting.
The stolen necklaces were valued between $2,000 and $3,000 each.
One alleged encounter began with a seemingly innocent request for directions.
A 73-year-old woman was standing outside her Valley Stream, New York, home Oct. 5, when a gold Mitsubishi with a man and woman inside pulled up, Nassau County police said. The female passenger asked how to get to BJ’s Wholesale Club.
After the woman helped, the passenger stepped out, asked to hug her and placed two gold-colored necklaces around her neck, according to detectives.
A short time later, the woman realized her own gold necklace, worth approximately $2,000, was gone.
Investigators linked the suspects to similar thefts in Franklin Square and East Meadow. Each faces three counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, police said.
DHS said Nassau County authorities turned the couple over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following their arrests. Both entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown time and location, according to DHS.
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"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," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
"Thanks to local partners in New York, these illegal aliens are in ICE custody and will be removed from our country."
Mullin also took aim at Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, arguing that sanctuary policies put Americans at risk.
"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.
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DHS used the arrests to renew its criticism of New York’s sanctuary policies, calling the state a "hotbed of illegal alien crime" under Hochul. DHS also argued those policies have had "disastrous consequences" beyond New York’s borders.
The announcement follows Operation Rotten Apple, an ICE crackdown that ran from July 27 through Aug. 29.
DHS said officers arrested 2,197 illegal immigrants across New York during the operation, including people the department described as murderers, rapists, child predators, drug traffickers and violent assailants.
Nassau County police initially issued the suspects appearance tickets directing them to court in Hempstead on Oct. 20, according to the department’s arrest announcement. DHS’s Tuesday statement did not specify when ICE took custody of them.
The case prompted police to warn residents about distraction scams targeting elderly people, including strangers offering jewelry or gifts, asking to pray together, requesting change or seeking help with a flat tire.
While a victim’s attention is elsewhere, the thieves can remove jewelry directly from their body, police warned.
Authorities urged residents to stay alert in parking lots and outside grocery stores and call 911 to report suspicious activity.
Anyone who believes they were targeted in a similar theft can contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.
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