Terrell Forney
MIAMI – A 27-year-old woman is accused of scamming elderly residents out of thousands of dollars in jewelry by posing as a buyer and offering to clean their valuables
Miami police confirmed in an arrest report Monday
Detectives with the Miami Police Department’s Burglary Unit said they arrested Katherine Coromoto Angulo Rivera on Friday
accusing her of targeting senior citizens in the Flagami neighborhood through a well-planned theft scheme that used “deceptive tactics to steal valuables worth tens of thousands of dollars from on suspecting victims.”
approached a victim near the 5000 block of Northwest Second Street
where she claimed she could also clean jewelry
handed over about $48,500 worth of jewelry
‘Can you give me a little water?’ So I said yes,” said Nelsa Silvera
Police said the woman began talking about jewelry and claimed she could clean the valuables
Police said Angulo Rivera then placed the items in a container
and covered it with a napkin — telling the victim to wait an hour before checking
the jewelry and Angulo Rivera were both gone
“I don’t have the words to express myself,” said Ramona Sanchez
She explained that some of the stolen items were sentimental pieces she had owned for decades
A second victim in the 5800 block of Southwest Second Terrace told police they were approached with an offer to buy copper
Angulo Rivera once again suggested cleaning their jewelry and used the same method to steal it
Police believe Angulo Rivera took advantage of her victims’ trust by using offers that seemed legitimate to distract them while stealing their valuables
Officers estimate the total loss from that case to be about $50,000
Police said that victim has not recovered any of her belongings
Investigators were able to track her down after reviewing victim interviews
analyzing surveillance footage and conducting a traffic stop near Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 38th Street
Jail records show Angulo Rivera is facing two counts each of third-degree grand theft
and conducting a business without a license or county ordinance
Detectives also confirmed that more charges may follow
“This suspect preyed on the kindness and vulnerability of our elderly residents with a calculated and heartless scheme,” Miami Police Chief Manny Morales said
“I am proud of the patrol officers and detectives that found her
and we encourage anyone who may have encountered her to come forward.”
Angulo Rivera appeared in court over the weekend
occasionally shaking her head as the judge read charges including grand theft in the third degree and use of fraudulent credit cards
and detectives said they are working to determine if there are other victims or if Angulo Rivera had any accomplices
Angulo Rivera was not listed as an inmate on Miami-Dade’s jail website as of Monday evening
Her bond information also wasn’t immediately available
Anyone with information or who believes they were targeted is urged to call the Miami Police Department’s Burglary Unit at 305-603-6055 or Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477
Tips can also be submitted anonymously online at www.crimestoppersmiami.com or by texting 274637 with the code CSMD followed by the information
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved
Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG
Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter
but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida
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Virginia Otazo
Because The City Beautiful is also The City Delicious
Virginia is a Miamian with a creative writing degree
She managed restaurants for 11 years before joining The Infatuation Miami in 2022
In the heart of Miami, Raul Del Palacio’s love for plants began with the humble act of growing beans as a child. Little did he know, this simple fascination would bloom into something much greater—a thriving tropical landscaping business known as Flagami Tropicals
What started as a childhood hobby has now grown into a labor of love
and his dream of cultivating his own personal jungle
that dream started to come to life with coconuts
He’d collect coconuts from around the city
his obsession with tropical plants took root
his collection swelled to over 500 tropical plants
When Raul found out he was going to become a father
and they knew they couldn’t afford to stay in Miami much longer
and Raul needed to find a way to provide for his growing family
That’s when the idea for an unusual yet heartwarming solution came to him
Raul decided to leverage his love for plants to fund his family’s future
instead of just donating money or buying gifts
“I’ll give you one of my rare plants
whatever you feel in your heart to offer.”
Raul found himself trading some of his most prized plants—plants he had spent years cultivating—for strollers
“It was a sacrifice,” he admits
and knowing that my plants were going to people who appreciated them made it easier.”
Raul’s registry became a community effort
The generosity he experienced helped him save enough money
not only to support his newborn son but also to make a big move—literally
Raul took on a few more landscaping jobs in Miami
selling his prized collection to fund their relocation to Orlando
and they’ve shaped his life in more ways than one
But the experience of trading his plants for baby supplies and moving his family to a more affordable city gave him a new perspective
I realized that plants will always grow back
I can’t ever get those back,” he says
“That’s what matters most to me now—spending time with my son and being the father he deserves.”
Flagami Tropicals has expanded beyond its Miami roots
Raul continues to work in tropical landscaping
vibrant outdoor spaces with the same passion he had when he first started growing beans as a boy
He’s still building his jungle—this time
Explore our selection today and let us help your vision take root
TrendingDevelopmentSouth FloridaARelated scores funding from city of Miami for 98-unit affordable housing project in FlagamiEight-story building will be for senior residents earning no more than 30% of the area median income
Jorge Pérez’s Related Group scored an up to $5.7 million loan from the city of Miami for a 98-unit affordable housing project for senior residents in the Flagami neighborhood
Miami commissioners voted to award the funds from the Miami Forever Bond program for pre-development and construction costs for the second phase of Flagler Villas at 5350 West Flagler Street
The eight-story building will consist of 90 one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom apartments
All units will be for households earning no more than 30 percent of the area median income
according to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation
This means a one-person household can earn up to $23,850 annually
a two-person household can earn up to $27,240 and a three-person household can earn up to $30,630 to qualify for a Flagler Villas unit
will lease the 0.7-acre property from the city under a 99-year term
allows developers to build bigger projects than permitted by a site’s zoning and also grants them property tax exemptions if they designate at least 40 percent of units for households earning no more than 120 percent of the AMI
The apartments have to remain at below-market rate levels for at least 30 years
Related also plans a 12-story, 316-unit public housing building at 860
930 and 950 Northwest 95th Street in unincorporated Miami-Dade
In February, Related scored approval to replace the 62-unit seniors affordable housing building, Gibson Plaza, with a 20-story tower with 345 units
The site is at 3160 and 3170 Mundy Street in Miami’s Coconut Grove
Chris Gothner
daughter shot dead in condo in Miami’s Flagami neighborhoodBoth were shot days before their respective birthdaysLayron Livingston
MIAMI – Miami police investigated a double homicide in the city’s Flagami neighborhood Wednesday morning
The deadly shooting happened at around 9:30 a.m
about a mile south of the Miami International Airport
a man shot and killed a mother and daughter in what authorities described as an ambush after following another person inside the apartment
were found unresponsive in front of the apartment door
Cartalla would have celebrated her 51st birthday on Saturday; Olivera would have turned 23 on Dec
Police initially believed the shooter was Cartalla’s estranged husband
but later said it was her daughter’s ex-boyfriend
The condominium property manager told Local 10 News that Cartalla worked at the building as a custodian and was “full of life
outgoing” and that she and her daughter were “beautiful people” who did not deserve to have their lives cut short
Neighbors were stunned by the deadly double shooting
“Did not have the pleasure to meet the daughter
but I did know the mom — very wonderful lady,” neighbor Jackie Granda said
very nice lady and it’s unfortunate that this happened.”
An MPD spokesperson said Travieso drove to a nearby police station and confessed to the crime
“It’s always very hard to report on devastating situations like this
let’s just keep the family in prayers at this time,” MPD Officer Kiara Delva said
Delva said authorities were still gathering information and the department’s investigation was ongoing as of late Wednesday
Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved
Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist
Copyright © 2025 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC.
Looking to uncover all that Flagami has to offer
Get to know this Miami neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses
from an Italian wine bar to a Latin American spot
Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Flagami
using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses
Topping the list is wine bar and Italian spot Amor di Pasta
it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood
boasting 4.5 stars out of 236 reviews on Yelp
This cozy eatery with modern decor offers pizza
Try the burrata salad and pappardelle pasta filled with sausage in a saffron cream sauce and a glass of house red wine
Save room: Tiramisu and panna cotta are on the dessert menu
Latin American and Nicaraguan eatery Fritanga Cana Brava is another top choice
Vaporizeme Smoke & Tobacco
expect to find a range of merchandise that draws locals and visitors alike
Topping the list is wine bar and Italian spot Amor di Pasta
Latin American and Nicaraguan eatery Fritanga Cana Brava is another top choice
Vaporizeme Smoke & Tobacco
A developer is proposing a mixed-use residential project near Miami International Airport
The city’s Urban Development Review Board voted unanimously to recommend approval
with one recommendation for the developer to explore increasing the height of the ceiling for the ground floor retail
Rilea Management LLC is listed as the development representative of owner and applicant Atlantic Voyager LLC for the project with a working title of Airport Site
at the northwest corner of Northwest 43rd Avenue and Northwest Seventh Street
The plan calls for a six-story building housing 162 residential units and about 7,800 square feet of retail
wrote of the project: “The immediate surrounding context is characterized primarily by commercial and multi-family residential uses
The proposed project will complement the neighborhood through the introduction of needed residential and retail uses
while keeping within the context and scale of the area.”
As a result of proximity to Miami International Airport
the design must accommodate height limitations imposed by the FAA and does not maximize development capacity
The developer is requesting waivers from conditions imposed by the Miami 21 zoning code
“Several of the requested waivers … help to alleviate the practical design challenges created by these height limitations,” wrote Mr
■A reduction in drive aisle width from 23 feet to 22
“Applicant seeks to reduce the square footage dedicated to off-street parking within the project and instead dedicate that space to uses that more positively contribute to the neighborhood
which will improve the pedestrian experience at street level
which will add housing and improve the aesthetic character of the building,” says the request
“The project’s height is limited due to its proximity to the airport
In order to offset the development restrictions caused by this reduced height while still providing an activated mix of uses along the ground floor
the applicant requests an increase in the permitted lot coverage from 80% to 88%.”
one commercial loading berth with two residential loading berths
■An increase in above-ground parking frontage
The project was designed by architectural firm Anillo
There will be two entrances to the garage on the north and south
Board member Ligia Ines Labrada complemented the design of a prominent entrance to the building that will create “a lot of activation to that area
She also said she likes the scale of the interior courtyard
you designed a very pleasant building,” said board member Anthony Tzamtzis
He asked the height of the ceiling in the retail level
“That’s a little low – we like to see 15,” he said
Board member Willy Bermello asked the total building height and was told 60 feet 11 inches
closed-in corridors without daylight would be really dark
She asked the developer’s team to consider redesigns near the stairs to bring in daylight on all floors
Perez was critical of a planned courtyard and swimming pool
“The pool and courtyard doesn’t work … no sun
a lot of noise … maybe you can do better,” said Mr
suggesting the courtyard be open to the exterior of the site
MIAMI – A propane tank exploded while firefighters worked on Sunday at a single-story residential duplex in Miami’s Flagami neighborhood
City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue responded to a call for help shortly after 7:30 a.m.
near the corner of Northwest Fifth Street and 43rd Place
The firefighters who arrived found heavy smoke and flames coming from the back of the property and requested help from colleagues
“Firefighters extended hose lines to the rear of the property to make a quick-fire attack,” Sanchez wrote in a statement
The exterior fire had extended into the home and several propane tanks caught on fire
The fire also extended next door to a shed
but firefighters kept it from spreading to the neighboring house
one tank exploded but no one was injured,” Sanchez wrote
It took about 30 minutes for firefighters to control the fire
who added investigators were working to determine the cause
Stay informed with regular breaking news alerts
Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved
The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013
She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award
A new furniture store, offering mattresses and more, has debuted in the neighborhood. Located at 750 S.W. 57th Ave., Miami in Flagami, the newcomer is called DC Mattress & Furniture
The store offers a mix of traditional and contemporary styles
with merchandise ranging from bedroom sets to couches to coffee tables
check out the store's decorative accessories
"This place provided me with the best line of furniture."
Swing on by to take a peek for yourself: DC Mattress & Furniture is open from 10 a.m.–7 p.m
Want to keep your finger on the pulse of new businesses in Miami? Here's what else opened recently near you
A new furniture store, offering mattresses and more, has debuted in the neighborhood. Located at 750 S.W. 57th Ave., Miami in Flagami, the newcomer is called DC Mattress & Furniture
\"This place provided me with the best line of furniture.\"
Want to keep your finger on the pulse of new businesses in Miami? Here's what else opened recently near you
Andrea Torres
Glenna Milberg
MIAMI – A man who was removing a paint ball rifle out of his trunk near a Regions Bank in Miami's Flagami neighborhood set off a police search and prompted administrators to activate school lockdown protocols
Dozens of police officers searched for the man in the area surrounding the bank at 4196 W
the mother of an 11-year-old student who was at Kinlock Park Elementary School at 4275 NW First St.
His teacher was on the ground and the boy told her he was told to do the same
When Kinlock Park Middle School students at 4340 NW 3rd St
Officers detained the man who provided the paintball rifle
Copyright 2018 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved
Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues
She also serves as host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast
MIAMI – A man appeared in Miami-Dade County court on Wednesday after detectives accused him of attacking two men with a machete during a neighbors’ dispute in Miami’s Flagami neighborhood
Endy Gomez left the crime scene before police officers arrived
A detective arrested the fugitive on Tuesday near the intersection of Northwest 11 Avenue and 55 Street in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood
was swinging a machete when he chased two of his neighbors on Jan
in the area of West Flagler Street and Southwest 63 Court
One of the victims suffered several cuts on his left arm
Miami Fire Rescue took him to the Jackson West Medical Center
21 that the man injured was attempting to disarm the attacker when Gonzalez’s wife intervened and took the machete away from him so he couldn’t hurt anyone else
Gomez is facing two counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon
His criminal record in Miami-Dade County includes an arrest for battery in 2021
Glazer ordered him to stay away from the victims and he was released on Wednesday on a $32,500 bond
More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter
MIAMI – Miami police are cracking down on crime in the area Thursday
hoping to get as many criminals off the street as possible in what they're calling Operation Clean Up
officers are stepping up patrols and targeting crime in the Flagami area
"Flagami starts on 27th Avenue to the Palmetto Expressway
Their efforts helped take down Manuel Camacho
who police said confessed to breaking into eight cars Thursday morning
"I really didn't have anything of value in the car
it's the fact that my privacy has been violated," Rodriguez said
Rodriguez said Camacho was handcuffed in her driveway on Southwest 54th Avenue
where police said they found Camacho wearing a backpack and looking into a car window
"They find that he has all these items on him and then (he) starts confessing to vehicle break-ins," Cruz said
Police said it's crimes like this that they are going after
Copyright 2016 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved
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Miami
Crowds swarm the cafecito window at this West Miami Cuban restaurant as soon as the temperature dips below 60 degrees
The reason they’re not huddling indoors is the thick
gooey hot chocolate served outside on the patio with a side of sugary
though part of the fun is shivering through a tall Styrofoam cup of the chocolatey drink
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2018 at 5:18 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}MIAMI
FL — Miami commissioners have approved an expansion of the city's popular free trolley service along Brickell Avenue and have added a brand new route in the Flagami section
Ridership has more than doubled to some five million rides
The Coconut Grove route was also reconfigured
Thursday's resolution approving the changes was co-sponsored by Mayor Francis Suarez and Commissioner Manolo Reyes
"Our plan to continue expanding our trolley system throughout the city has been a success
and the Flagami route is a great example of this," the mayor said
"We are committed to providing accessible and reliable transportation options to Miami residents to alleviate congestion and promote a better quality of life."
See also Father's Day 2018: Tell Us Why Your Dad Is Special and FREE Glass Of Wine When You Sign Up For Patch's FREE Newsletter
the Flaglami route will include five new trolleys operating six days a week with service connecting major arteries such as SW 8th St and West Flagler Street to the existing Little Havana route and other nearby neighborhoods
"The residents of Flagami had expressed to me a need for better transportation in the area," Reyes explained
"The Miami Trolley will help many of them get to and from work and school
and run errands in the community while connecting them to surrounding areas."
the Brickell route will now go to Miami City Hall
Officials said the Coconut Grove route was modified to better serve residents
“As non-city transportation services struggle and in some cases discontinue service
we're committed to the expansion of the Miami Trolley as a proven
effective way to get people where they want to go,” said the city's Eugene Ramirez
Miami Trolley has seen year over year growth since fiscal year 13-14
Miami Trolley gave more than five million rides (compared to 2.3 million in fiscal year 13-14)
The most popular routes in fiscal year 16-17 included Little Havana
The Little Havana route more than doubled ridership from fiscal year 15-16 to fiscal year 16-17
A Little Haiti route was added in February
Download the city's free trolley app for iOS and Android devices. For more information on Miami Trolley click here
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
TrendingSouth FloridaAInvestor tied to rum maker buys Gordon Food Service site in Flagami: $7M
A company tied to rum manufacturer Matusalem Rum bought a Gordon Food Service Marketplace in the Flagami neighborhood of Miami
GFS Flagler Street paid $6.7 million for the 17,431-square-foot grocery store at 5600 West Flagler Street
Alvarez with an address that matches Matusalem Rum
sits on a 45,100-square-foot lot just south of Miami International Airport
SIGN UPMarcus & Millichap’s Ronnie Issenberg
Scott Sandelin and Al Palacios brokered the deal
It was on the market for a little more than $7 million
The company paid $3.6 million for the building in 2002
GFS has more than 170 locations across the United States
and has seven years left on its double-net lease
Nearby, a pair of Miami developers bought a development site at 61 Northwest 37th Avenue and will build a new apartment complex there
That post was among a series of cryptic Spanish-language posts shared by the 48-year-old in the days before the killings
including a series of posts reminiscing about his family
Travieso appeared in court Thursday after being arrested on two first-degree murder charges in the shooting deaths of his 22-year-old ex
They were shot and killed in what police described as an “ambush” Wednesday morning at the Yolanda Villas condominiums
Miami police said Travieso drove to the West Miami Police Department and confessed to the crime
Travieso was ordered held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center
Saira Anwer joined the Local 10 News team in July 2018
Saira is two-time Emmy-nominated reporter and comes to South Florida from Madison
where she was working as a reporter and anchor
MIAMI – Police arrested a west Miami-Dade woman Wednesday
accusing her of running unlicensed post-operative cosmetic surgery recovery homes in both the city of Miami and the county’s Tamiami area
now faces a host of felony and misdemeanor charges
Police said she was a known owner and operator of businesses called “Oasis Recovery House” and “Oasis Eden.”
Miami-Dade police medical crimes detectives were tipped off to an unlicensed recovery home and were surveilling Garcia’s Southwest 42nd Terrace residence Wednesday
The report states they followed a white Honda Civic from the home to Smart Plastic Surgery and Med Spa
and saw a woman cover the back seat with a plastic covering in preparation to receive a patient
was rolled out in a wheelchair soon after and loaded into the back seat of the compact car and laid on her stomach
They followed the Civic to a home at 2401 SW 143rd Court
then remained in the area and saw Garcia later arrive at the home in an SUV and detained her
Police said they found a dozen women at the Southwest 143rd Court home in various stages of post-op recovery
who said they were charged $250 per night for care
A separate arrest report states that authorities found Garcia had been illegally dumping
pads and gowns that were “saturated with human fecal matter
thereby creating a credible and actual biological hazard to the well-being and health of the public.”
Garcia was also running an unlicensed recovery home at 520 SW 72nd Court
on the western edge of Miami’s Flagami neighborhood
Police said they surveilled that home on May 19 and saw a patient arrive in a van — rather than a compact sedan — full of women in various stages of recovery
Unlicensed surgical recovery facilities continue to be a serious problem in South Florida
Local 10 News has interviewed women who have described unsanitary conditions at homes they stayed in after recovering from cosmetic surgeries
Garcia faced two charges of operating an assisted living facility without a license
plus felony littering and hazardous waste violations
She also faced two misdemeanor charges of failing to track biomedical waste and creating a nuisance injurious to health
Garcia had been held on a $21,000 bond but was no longer listed in Miami-Dade jail records as of Thursday afternoon