Three brazen burglars have been caught after filming themselves flaunting stolen jewelry from a $1.7 million Miami apartment as they fled the scene.
The group was spotted on surveillance footage last month as they left the Paramount Miami Worldcenter downtown, showcasing items from their $60,000 theft.
Their victim, Russian doctor Laura Iost, 36, shared the clip with the Mail this week while recounting the ‘terrifying’ August 28 break-in.
Iost mentioned that after stepping out of her upscale waterfront three-bedroom apartment to take her dog for a walk, she returned at about 7:30 pm to discover several of her high-end possessions had vanished.
The anesthesiologist reported that the thieves had taken off with two Louis Vuitton handbags, a Prada purse, an MCM bag, as well as Cartier and Tiffany jewelry. Her passport and cosmetics were also missing in the burglary.
Recalling the moment she came home, Iost said: ‘I noticed that my door was already open.
‘When I looked closer, I realized it had been broken into, and there was a large black handprint on the wall.
‘I immediately called the elevator. I was trembling – terrified – and didn’t know if someone was still inside the bedroom.
‘While waiting for the elevator to arrive, it felt like an eternity. I quickly went down with my dog. I was shaking badly and stuttering.’
Russian doctor Laura Iost, 36, who was targeted in the break-in on August 28, provided video footage of the burglars to the Daily Mail this week, describing the ordeal as ‘terrifying.’
The audacious thieves (captured on CCTV) were eventually caught after recording themselves flaunting the jewelry they had just taken from a $1.7 million apartment as they made their escape.
The burglars were caught on at least nine surveillance cameras with the stolen goods.
One tried on an expensive necklace while his friend filmed him, while another carried several stolen bags.
Other cameras show them admiring views from the plush balcony and running down stairwells.
Iost said that despite paying hefty fees for a supposedly secure building, staff were unhelpful when she reported the burglary in the lobby.
‘Both the guard and the receptionist yelled at me, saying it wasn’t their job to call the police,’ Iost said.
‘We argued for about 15 minutes before security finally went upstairs and confirmed that the apartment had been burglarized.
‘I saw that the safe and bags were gone, and the place was in disorder. We went back downstairs, and I called the police.’
Iost said she was ‘in severe shock’ and ‘trembling’ throughout the ordeal, but praised Miami Police officers for their support.
Dr. Iost (pictured) noted that she had left her high-end waterfront three-bedroom residence to walk her dog, only to return around 7:30 pm to find that her handbags, jewelry, and safe had been stolen.
One burglar, seen on the left, even tried on an expensive silver necklace while his friend filmed him showing off the jewels and the third man held several bags they had taken
The burglars were caught on at least nine surveillance cameras with the stolen goods
The burglars caused $3,000 worth of damage to the luxury three-bedroom home, according to a Miami Police Department affidavit, and left dirty handprints on the doors as they left
‘Around 11 pm, they finished their investigation but told me I had to wait for the forensic investigator,’ she recalled.
‘I was terrified: the door was broken, and I was alone. Security refused to stay with me or fix the lock.
‘Hearing this, the police left one of their officers with me, and they rotated shifts every hour so I wouldn’t be alone.
‘The forensic team came and finished their work around 2 am. At that point, I had to either fix the lock or find another place to stay.
‘Since my documents had been stolen, I couldn’t rent a hotel.
‘My husband suggested going to our country house, which was about a three-hour drive, and in that condition, I was forced to drive alone.’
Iost fears the burglars had ‘inside’ knowledge.
‘These men knew everything: that I live alone, that I walk my dog at the same time every day, and exactly where the safe was,’ she said.
‘They didn’t touch any other rooms or belongings. Two MacBooks were lying on the table, untouched. They came with a clear purpose.’
She was shaken by how they managed to enter the complex.
‘You can only enter the building with Face ID — otherwise, only if the security lets you in or a resident brings you inside.’
An arrest affidavit seen by the Daily Mail shows that Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested two of the suspects just hours after their grand heist during a traffic stop.
Stephen James Bradford, 25, from Katy, Texas, and Robert Emanuel Cormier, 28, from Cypress, Texas, were pulled over in a stolen Ford Expedition on the I-75.
Robert Emanuel Cormier, 28, of Cypress, Texas, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center
Stephen James Bradford, 25, from Katy, Texas, was arrested in connection with the burglary
Jason Icori Hill, 24, of Houston, Texas, was also detained five days later
Miami Police Department said they were charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft in the second degree, and criminal mischief for stealing $57,100 worth of property and causing $3,000 damage to the home.
Jason Icori Hill, 24, was later detained on the same charges.
Iost said she has been left so shaken by the ordeal that she moved out of the condo.
The Miami doctor said she has also called for an investigation into security at the skyscraper.
‘Why are we paying for security if it doesn’t actually exist?’ she said.
‘Residents of a premium building expect to be protected for the enormous amounts they pay. In reality, security ignores crimes – and may even be complicit in them.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Paramount Miami Worldcenter for comment.
