MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Two women visiting South Beach from the Pacific Northwest went from burglary victims to crime solvers, leading to a woman’s arrest and the return of their stolen belongings, a happy outcome made possible by a piece of technology.
Speaking with 7News on the phone, Monday, one of the victims said she and her friend were visiting from Oregon when the perpetrator was somehow able to gain access to their hotel room at the Hilton on Sixth Street and Ocean Drive.
The tourist said it all happened within hours of their arrival.
“We were [there] 24 hours,” she said.
The victim said the crook snatched expensive designer purses, a wallet, glasses and earphones.
“My purse is gone, the whole purse, and then my friend’s wallet is gone out of her purse, her AirPods and her chargers, and all that was gone,” said the victim.
But the visitors were fortunate that the pricey headphones were among the swiped items, because they were able to use an iPhone app to locate their valuables.
“We began tracking her stolen Apple AirPods via her Apple Find My application,” said the victim.
According to Miami Beach Police, they literally followed the headphones from place to place in real time.
Meanwhile, the victim said her friend received a text.
“[She got a] text message from American Express to say that her card was being used at this store,” she said, “and so we were like “OK, so she’s at that store. Let’s go.'”
Investigators said several of the victims’ credit cards were being used in several businesses near Ninth Street and Washington Avenue.
“All night, she would spend the money up and down Ocean Drive on the credit cards,” said the victim.
Employees from some of these stores gave them a description of the person who used the stolen credit cards.
They eventually learned their possessions were on Lincoln Road.
It was on Lincoln Road where the victims met up with officers and found the woman who, investigators said, matched the description provided by store employees.
“I said, ‘She’s got my purse, and she’s wearing my sunglasses,'” said the victim.
Police took 24-year-old Jonnique Budhoo into custody — not for theft but for drug possession.
“They found some stuff that wasn’t mine in the purse,” said the victim.
What they found, police said, was cocaine and marijuana.
In their arrest report, officers said Budhoo was being “detained pending further investigation.”
As for the victims, they got most of their possessions back, as well as an unforgettable story about their one night in South Beach, not to mention the admiration from local law enforcement.
“We did ask them if they were looking for any detectives, and [one officer] is like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got two applications in the car if you want them,'” said the victim.
Budhoo is being held by $1000 bond and wasn’t charged in connection to this crime.
It remains unclear if she will face any future charges.
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