LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A Las Vegas woman is accused of stealing more than $1 million in jewelry from a hotel room where she worked as a housekeeper.
Amanda Melendez, 27, is accused of residential burglary, grand larceny of more than $100,000 and conspiracy to commit burglary. She is currently out on bail.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s report, officers responding to the Vdara Hotel on May 7 for a reported theft.
The alleged victims stated they had ordered housekeeping to clean their room earlier as they left, and when they returned their bags had been empty, cleaning supplies were left behind and the beds were half-made.
Items allegedly stolen included two Rolex watches, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch, each worth more than $100,000.
Also a number of bracelets, rings and seven necklaces worth $10,000 to $60,000 each.
Hotel security met with police and learned the keycard issued to Melendez was used to open the door to the room.
Another theft was reported at a different room the day before where a guest said they were missing $300 in cash. The same card was used during Melendez’s shift.
Two days later, police interviewed Melendez at the hotel. Before the police could mention the burglary, Melendez said he did not know anything about the stolen items. She was allowed to go back to work.
Police later learned of phone calls between Melendez and a man who is currently being detained at the Clark County Detention Center. Between May 5 and May 11, the man made 62 calls to Melendez, where she told him she was in the room and found “a Audemars Piguet, a Rollie and a bunch of other [stuff].”
“She told him she had a plan to leave the door open to make it look like something else. You can hear bags being unzipped and the sound of items being shuffled around,” the report reads.
“Should I take them all?” she asked the man on the phone. “Yeah, yeah,” he said. “She can then be heard clocking out and saying goodnight to her coworkers,” the report states.
Her next court hearing is set for June 20.
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