MIAMI — A 76-year-old North Miami Beach woman is accused of pawning an 87-year-old woman’s jewelry worth about $5,000 after it was entrusted to her for safekeeping, police said.
Jail records show Zonia Beatriz Reatgui was arrested Tuesday by the Miami Police Department.
According to investigators, the victim, who is unable to drive, relied on Reatgui — a longtime friend of about 20 years — for transportation to medical appointments.
On Dec. 9, 2025, police said Reatgui drove the woman to a hospital for treatment related to a foot condition.
Before the victim was admitted, they said Reatgui offered to hold onto her bracelets to prevent them from being lost. The victim agreed and handed over the jewelry.
After the victim was discharged days later, police said she asked for the bracelets back.
They said Reatgui initially claimed she was traveling to Peru and would return the items later. Over the following weeks, she allegedly gave multiple excuses before ultimately telling the victim the jewelry had been “stolen” from her home, the report states.
Investigators said Reatgui asked the victim not to tell her family and promised reimbursement, but never followed through.
A review of pawn shop records later showed that bracelets matching the victim’s jewelry were pawned on Dec. 9 and Dec. 20, 2025, for $500 each, police said. They said the items were identified through photos and unique charm configurations and were placed on hold.
During a recorded interview, police said Reatgui admitted to pawning the jewelry and confirmed she never retrieved it.
They said the victim later provided a statement and identified Reatgui as the person she entrusted with the jewelry.
Records show she is facing one count of third-degree grand theft, as well as two counts each of dealing in stolen property and secondhand dealer violations involving failure to verify ownership of items valued over $300.
As of Thursday, she was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bond was listed as “to be set.”
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