Romanian nationals Mirabela Lacatusu and Rudi Lacatusu charged in Long Island gold necklace scam, police say

Two Romanian nationals face grand larceny charges after they allegedly stole a necklace worth about $2,000 from a Valley Stream woman on Monday, Nassau County police said.

The pair, who were each charged with three counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, have since been turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorities confirmed.

According to police, at around 2:40 p.m. on Monday, a man and woman in a gold Mitsubishi stopped and asked a 73-year-old woman, who was in front of her Valley Stream home, for directions to a BJ’s Wholesale Club.

After the woman gave them directions, the female passenger got out of the vehicle and asked to hug her, police said.

The woman placed two gold-colored necklaces around the victim’s neck before leaving, police said.

A short time later, the 73-year-old noticed her $2,000 gold necklace, which she was wearing before she encountered the duo, was missing, police said.

Nassau police investigators on Tuesday found and arrested Mirabela Lacatusu, 26, and Rudi Lacatusu, 28, both Romanian nationals and residents of Scarborough, Ontario, police said.

The pair were responsible for similar incidents in August in Franklin Square and East Meadow and earlier this week in Valley Stream, a police spokesman confirmed.

The victims in two of the three cases were in their 70s, police said.

Authorities also have linked the duo to at least 14 other necklace scams in other locations.

The pair were issued appearance tickets and are to appear in First District Court in Hempstead on Oct. 20.

Detectives ask anyone who feels they may have been a victim of a similar incident to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS (8477).