An unwelcome guest is once again on the prowl in Miami Beach, targeting vacationers staying in area hotels.
A hotel burglar was caught on surveillance video wandering the hallways at the Chesterfield Hotel on 8th and Collins Saturday, and police are hoping the video will help nab him.
The thief struck during the early morning hours, while the guest were asleep, breaking in through a window in a room and going through the victims' belongings. He made off with $5,000, an iPhone and credit cards.
"This is not a tourist, this is a malicious person that we want to bring to justice," said Officer Deborah Doty, with the Miami Beach Police Department. "He's taking cash, he's taking jewelry, cellphones, whatever he can get his hands on, he's gonna take."
His crime spree dates back to 2006, targeting hotels that line the high traffic areas of Collins and Ocean. The Hotels include the Catalina Hotel, The Shelly Hotel, The Dorchester, National and Avalon.
The unnerving news had tourists like Gary Bean of New York wondering why he wasn't informed when he checked-in Thursday at the Chesterfield.
"If we have someone in here, who is commandeering our valuables, we need to know about that," said Bean. "They provide us with safes, but how safe is that safe?"
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Managers at the Chesterfield Hotel said they are fully cooperating with the Miami Beach Police Department. They provided a statement Thursday, saying, "Guest safety is the hotel's main priority. And, as always we continue to provide our guests with 24-hour security."
"It's a bit off-putting," said Serena Lally, from London. "I don't think we would stay somewhere where we know the security's not that great again."
