MIAMI — Sarah Tavano was accused of drugging burglary victims she had met at Miami bars so many times that a detective remembered her, according to a police report.
Tavano, 39, born in Massachusetts, faced 10 criminal charges in four cases on Tuesday in Miami-Dade County, according to police and court records.
Tavano, who lived in St. Augustine, gained the men’s trust “under the pretense of consensual activity,” a police officer wrote, according to an arrest report.
Police officers arrested Tavano on Sunday at Sugar, a 40th-floor rooftop bar at EAST, at 788 Brickell Plaza, and she had a baggie with a white powder, a plastic cup with four pills, and a bottle of Jägermeister with a powder, according to a police arrest report.
Tavano “stated that the liquid inside the green bottle contained MDMA,” a detective wrote, according to an arrest report.
Prosecutors filed the four cases against Tavano on Monday, according to court records. Three include surveillance video, a fingerprint match, and a confession, according to police incident reports.
OCT. 26 IN BRICKELL
Police officers met a man on Oct. 26 at Latitude on the River, at 185 SW 7 St., who reported that he met a woman on Oct. 25 at Blackbird, at 729 SW 1 Ave., who may have stolen his keys, according to a police report.
“He does not remember inviting her into his apartment,” a police officer wrote, according to an arrest report.
The man reported that when he woke up, gold and diamond jewelry, suitcases, handbags, and wallets had vanished from his condo on the 36th floor, according to a police officer who reported the items were valued at “over $50,000 belonging to the victim’s fiancé.”
A fingerprint on a brown watch case matched Tavano, who confessed that “the clothes she changed into were stolen ... she stole the suitcases ... filled with 20+ luxury bags,” a police officer wrote, according to an incident report listing the designer items as Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, Versace, Gucci, and Yves Saint Laurent.
DEC. 11 IN WYNWOOD AND BRICKELL
Miami police officers met a man on Dec. 11 at the Hyatt Centric Resort Hotel at 1102 Brickell Bay Drive, who reported meeting a woman on Dec. 10 at El Patio Wynwood, at 167 NW 23 St.
The man reported that more than $34,000 had been stolen through unauthorized bank and crypto transactions after his iPhone 17 and wallet vanished, according to a police report.
“The victim reported experiencing a severe blackout, falling unconscious,” a police officer wrote, according to a case report.
DEC. 13 IN DOWNTOWN MIAMI AND BRICKELL
Police officers met a man at the Intercontinental Hotel, at 100 Chopin Plaza, who reported that a woman approached him on Dec. 12 at Sugar, and he allowed her into his hotel room on Dec. 13, records show.
“He consumed a drink ... began to feel ill, experiencing sudden nausea, weakness, and dizziness, before losing consciousness,” a police officer wrote in an arrest report. “The victim reported blacking out.”
The man reported that when he woke up, the woman had vanished with his Rolex watch, valued at about $38,000, and $1,500 in cash, according to police.
The man, who later suspected the woman had drugged him, “described prolonged symptoms of nausea, extreme weakness, dizziness, and vomiting that persisted for approximately one week,” a Miami police officer wrote in an arrest report.
After watching a surveillance video, the detective wrote, “I immediately recognized [Tavano], whom I suspected from two prior investigations,” records show.
THE 10 CHARGES
Two charges: For the Oct. 26 case, Tavano faced charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling and second-degree grand theft. Her bond was $12,500.
Two charges: For the Dec. 11 case, Tavano faced charges of organized fraud and third-degree grand theft. Her bond was $12,500.
Three charges: For the Dec. 13 case, Tavano faced charges of strong-armed robbery, organized fraud, and second-degree grand theft. Her bond was $25,000.
Three charges: For the Jan. 18 case, Tavano faced charges of food or water poisoning, cocaine possession, and possession of a controlled substance. Her bond was $5,000.
Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Michelle Delancy is set to preside over the four cases. Her total bond was $55,000.
Records show the court required her to prove that the funds used for her bail were not from the proceeds of criminal activity.
Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.
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