A 27-year-old Kissimmee woman is behind bars after being linked to yet another jewelry theft in Miami-Dade County. Katherine Coromoto Angulo Rivera, who is also accused of targeting elderly victims with a similar jewelry-cleaning scam, is facing charges for allegedly stealing $30,000 worth of valuables from a 70-year-old victim.
The Scam
According to an arrest report obtained by Local 10 News, Rivera posed as someone seeking old eyeglass frames and offered to turn them into costume jewelry. The victim, who recognized Rivera on a news report, contacted the authorities after being contacted by her. The woman told detectives that Rivera had convinced her to hand over the valuables after posing as a helpful visitor.
- Angulo Rivera offered to clean the victim’s jewelry, convincing her to hand over about $30,000 worth of valuables.
- She then poured a liquid into a container holding the jewelry, causing it to smoke, and instructed the victim to cover it with a paper towel and wait an hour.
- When the victim later removed the towel, her jewelry was gone — replaced by a melted rosary and fake costume pieces.
The Victims
In a similar incident earlier this month, Rivera was arrested in connection with a scam in Miami’s Flagami neighborhood, where she used the same method to steal nearly $50,000 in jewelry from another elderly victim. The victims, including Nelsa Silvera, reported being approached by Rivera claiming she wanted to buy copper, then using the same distraction technique to steal their valuables.
“She said, ‘Can you give me a little water?’ So I said yes,” Nelsa Silvera, one of the victims, previously told Local 10 News.
The Impact
Authorities believe Rivera exploited the victims’ trust by posing as a helpful visitor and using deceptive tactics to pull off the thefts. Police estimate the total losses across the incidents to be about $80,000.
| Incident | Location | Amount Stolen |
|---|---|---|
| First incident | Kissimmee | $30,000 |
| Second incident | Miami’s Flagami neighborhood | $50,000 |
The Charges
Angulo Rivera is facing one count each of organized fraud of $20,000 or more but less than $50,000 and exploitation of the elderly. She declined to speak with detectives without a lawyer present, according to deputies.
Where She’s Being Held
As of Tuesday, Angulo Rivera is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bond is listed as “to be set.”
Reporting Suspected Victims
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this scam is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
