Two Romanian nationals accused of a hug-and-run jewelry heist on Long Island have been released on desk appearance tickets and are scheduled to return to court next month.
Mirabela Lacatusu, 26, and Rudi Lacatusu, 28, both of Ontario, Canada, were each charged with three counts of grand larceny after detectives linked them to a string of similar thefts throughout Nassau County, police said. The pair allegedly targeted a 73-year-old woman outside her Valley Stream home on Monday afternoon, employing a disturbingly intimate ruse to separate her from a valuable gold necklace.
The elderly victim had been standing near her residence when a gold Mitsubishi pulled up with the Lacatusus inside. Mirabela, seated in the passenger seat, lowered her window and asked the woman for directions to BJ’s Wholesale Club, according to police. After the senior citizen obliged and pointed the way, Mirabela made an unexpected request: she asked to hug the woman and pressed two fake-gold necklaces into her hands as supposed gifts.
During the embrace, Mirabela secretly unclasped and lifted the victim’s genuine $2,000 gold necklace without the woman realizing she had been robbed, cops said. The pair drove off, and the theft went unnoticed by the victim until sometime after their departure.
Detectives conducted a brief investigation before tracing the crime to the Lacatusus, who authorities said are connected to comparable hug-and-run larcenies across Nassau County. Police believe additional victims may exist who have not yet come forward.
The brazen method—combining feigned affection with distraction—appears to have been a signature tactic in the duo’s alleged crime spree. Rather than relying on force or overt threats, the suspects exploited trust and social courtesy to get close enough to steal.
The Lacatusus were taken into custody and processed on the grand larceny charges. They were subsequently released on desk appearance tickets, a procedure that allows defendants to avoid immediate detention while ensuring their return for arraignment.
Both suspects are Romanian nationals, and their case is being handled by Nassau County authorities. The October court date will mark their next required appearance in the jurisdiction where the alleged crimes occurred.
The Valley Stream incident represents a particularly calculated form of street-level theft, one that preys specifically on the willingness of helpful strangers to engage with people who approach under seemingly benign pretenses. The use of counterfeit jewelry as a prop in the scheme added a layer of theatrical deception designed to lower the victim’s guard completely.