When a DNA sample from a water bottle that was allegedly discarded during the robbery of a jewelry store led the authorities to a suspect, the man was additionally assumed to be the person who broke into the home of a Hollywood couple last year.
In 2019, actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell reported that their home had been burglarized and the suspect had stolen jewelry. An item allegedly used during the invasion contained a sample of DNA, and the authorities collected it during their investigation.
This year on April 27, the manager of Marcelo’s Fine Jewelry in Tampa, Florida closed the store, secured the building, and departed for the evening.
After the man left, someone allegedly forced through the front door and illegally entered the establishment.
When the alleged break-in was discovered it appeared as if the metal door securing the area containing safes that hold high-priced jewelry items was cut with a torch. The Tampa Police Department reported that over $3,000,000 worth of items were swiped from the store.
During the investigation of the purported robbery, the authorities reportedly located water bottles on the floor that were missing their contents and assumed to have been left by whoever robbed the shop.
DNA reportedly left behind on one of the bottles was tested and the results allegedly pointed to Marcelo Romero, a 33-year-old man who had been arrested in Ventura County, California on October 3 for suspicion of theft crimes. The DNA was reported as also matching the sample from the alleged robbery of the actors’ home.
The Tampa Police issued a statement alleging the DNA was so conclusive that it was “700 billion times more likely to be from Marcelo Romero than from any other unrelated individual.”
Romero is housed in the Ventura County Jail on a $1.1 million bond for the thefts he has been accused of in California, and he is facing charges in Florida for burglary of an unoccupied structure, and grand theft of $100,000 or more.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.