Las Vegas Hotel Housekeeper Steals More Than $700,000 In Jewelry

A housekeeper at a resort located on the Las Vegas strip is accused of 14 luxury items worth a total value of $768,400, according to an arrest report obtained by ABC News.

Amanda Melendez, 28, was charged with grand larceny, residential burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary charges in relation to the alleged theft at Vdara Hotel & Spa on May 15. Three male guests claimed to have found their "bags were inside-out, beds were half made and cleaning supplies were left behind," after returning to their hotel room on May 6, hours after requesting room service.

Police responded to the hotel the following day and said that the items stolen included two Rolex watches, an Audemars Piguet watch, a Cartier watch, diamond chains and a gold ring in the arrest report. The jewelry was reported to be "hidden" in a computer bag among other bags inside the room and the men said they didn't lose their room keys.

Melendez was reported to have cleaned the room during the night of the theft, according to Vdara housekeeping records. She was also reported to have accessed the room using her housekeeping key and was inside for approximately 20 minutes, according to Vdara security records cited in the report.

The room was once again accessed by a different key, #86, which had been unaccounted since May 5, when it was also used to gain access to another room reported to be the site of a $300 cash theft.

"It is believed at this time Melendez had key #86, and was using it to gain unauthorized access to rooms," the arrest report stated.

A police investigation found that Melendez had been in contact with a man in the Clark County Detention Center since October 2022 and called him on a recorded line, telling him she was cleaning a room where "there was an Audemars Piguet, a Rollie (Rolex) and a bunch of 'other s---' referring to jewelry that she found in a room," while in the victims' room on the night of the incident, the arrest report states. She also allegedly told the man she planned to "make the room 'look like a tornado" and asked if she should "take them all," referring to the luxury items, which he responded, "yeah, yeah," according to the arrest report.

Melendez then told the man she "can't think straight" and was going to clock out. The 28-year-old was booked on May 15 before posting bail and is scheduled to appear in court on June 20.


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