Three people accused of impersonating victims of a building that collapsed on June 24 in Florida were arrested on Wednesday, local authorities said.
The individuals posed as seven disaster victims - five dead and two survivors - to demand the sending of new credit cards, Miami-Dade County Prosecutor Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. press conference.
Read alsoFlorida: the last victim of the collapse of a building identified, the death toll climbs to 98 dead
With these means of payment, the suspects obtained various items including luxury shoes and bags from shopping malls and made bank transfers.
They acquired a total of assets worth at least $ 45,000, according to the authorities.
The twelve-story waterfront building, dubbed Champlain Towers South, partially collapsed in the middle of the night on June 24 in Surfside, north of Miami Beach, killing 98 people.
The three individuals arrested, identified as Betsy Alejandra Cacho-Medina; her boyfriend, Rodney Choute, and Kimberley Michelle Johnson - appear to be
"very skillful thieves," "professionals,"
according to Fernandez Rundle. They face charges of fraud, identity theft and use of forged documents.
The investigation began on July 9, when the sister of one of the people who died in the collapse discovered that someone was changing the missing person's banking information and notified the police.
"What a tragedy that people seek to take advantage of this situation,"
said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who had visited the site every day. An investigation is still underway to determine the causes of this disaster.
