Esther Torres, a 20-year-old Florida woman, has been sentenced to five years of probation after allegedly targeting male tourists in Miami Beach, luring them to hotels, pepper-spraying them, and stealing their expensive watches and valuables.
Miami Beach police say Torres was originally charged with two counts of first-degree robbery stemming from incidents in March. She later accepted a plea deal on charges including armed robbery, burglary, and third-degree grand theft.
In one case, a man staying at the Breakwater Hotel reported being attacked with pepper spray before Torres allegedly took his Hugo Boss watch, over $200 in cash and foreign currency, and multiple credit cards.
A second victim, at the Fontainebleau Hotel, said he was temporarily blinded after being pepper-sprayed. Torres allegedly fled with his $22,000 Rolex Submariner.
Surveillance footage captured Torres leaving both hotels shortly after the thefts. Mitch Novick, owner of the Sherbrooke Hotel, helped authorities by providing security footage. “We have a predator, and she’s preying on male victims,” Novick told WSVN.
Torres was later identified during a traffic stop when she showed up to retrieve a car following another arrest. Her identity was confirmed through surveillance images and a police-issued flyer. Officers ultimately arrested her in May. At the time, police said she had a child in the car.
Initially held without bond, Torres was later released on her own recognizance. She is no longer in custody and has been ordered to serve her probation following the resolution of the case.
