‘Bonnie and Clyde’ Illegal Immigrant Couple Accused of Brazen Jewelry Theft Spree Across Four States

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 (ICE) custody, DHS announced Tuesday.

Rudi Lacatusu

Mirabela Lacatusu

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.

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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.

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