Restaurant Manager in Miami Jailed After Incident Involving Expensive Louis Vuitton Bag

A woman working as a manager at a Coral Gables restaurant in Miami-Dade has been arrested for allegedly stealing a Louis Vuitton bag, valued at approximately $2,000, which was left behind by a customer who switched tables. The accused, named Janet Rodríguez Suárez, was the manager at the time when, according to official reports, a customer left her bag on a table before deciding to move to another area within the same venue.

The bag not only had significant commercial value due to its brand, but it also contained $900 in cash, several credit cards, and personal items, as revealed by Univision. Shortly after the customer realized her Louis Vuitton was missing, she returned to retrieve it. According to the complaint, Rodríguez Suárez claimed that she had handed the purse over to "another woman" who had come to claim it.

Surveillance Footage Reveals the Truth

The accusation is backed by surveillance footage from the restaurant. The video shows a waiter picking up the forgotten bag and handing it directly to the manager. Moments later, Rodríguez Suárez is seen entering a restroom with the purse in hand. Although the authorities did not specify how long she stayed inside, this action was pivotal in the investigation.

The complete sequence of events supported the charge of theft, as investigators believed the woman failed to follow the usual protocol for lost items and instead acted with the intent to keep the customer's belongings. Following the complaint and the review of the video evidence, Rodríguez Suárez was arrested and formally charged with theft. During her court appearance, she was given a bail amount of $7,500.

Importance of Adhering to Protocols

In restaurants, hotels, and retail stores, employees are typically given clear instructions to document and safeguard lost items until their rightful owner can retrieve them. When these protocols are violated, the responsibility falls directly on the staff involved.