A couple from Florida, Aurel Dobos, 48, and Adina Buchuc, 41, were arrested recently for stealing a $150,000 watch from a jewelry store in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The theft took place in April, but the suspects were apprehended just days ago at Miami International Airport as they attempted to flee the area.
According to local media reports, Dobos and Buchuc, who posed as tourists from Italy, entered Robinson’s Jewelry on Las Olas Boulevard and mingled with the crowd. The store owner, Andrew Robinson, described the pair as well-dressed, wearing Rolex watches and large hats, giving the impression that they were affluent visitors. However, police later confirmed that they were not tourists.
The stolen watch, a Patek Philippe worth approximately $150,000, was taken after the couple tried it on and, at the right moment, swapped it with a counterfeit version. Law enforcement has linked the couple to similar crimes across the country. There is a pending case in California, an arrest warrant in Virginia, and another possible warrant in Texas, as confirmed by the judge overseeing the case.
Dobos and Buchuc are currently being held in a regional jail on a $10,000 bail, facing charges related to the theft and additional investigations in multiple states.
