Deputies nab suspected airport Rolex thief

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Deputies in South Florida have arrested a man suspected of stealing an expensive Rolex watch at an airport security checkpoint.

The Broward Sheriff's Office says video of the theft led them Friday to a Sunny Isles Beach condominium owned by 37-year-old Igor Ramos. "This video from the airport was shown nationwide, and his face was plastered all over the place. People actually came to the airport and confirmed his identity for us," said BSO Lieutenant Brian Montgomery.

Surveillance video captured Ramos standing behind Gloria de Regalado as she grabbed her belongings and forgot her gold and silver Rolex. After some brief hesitation, Ramos grabbed the Rolex and then put it and his laptop into his backpack and walked off.

Deputies say Ramos was wearing the $6,500 watch when he opened the door. "As we were standing in front of his condo, he opened the door, and surprisingly, he was wearing the victim's watch," said Montgomery.

The 37-year-old travels back and forth to South Florida. He owns two homes: one in Long Island, New York, and a condo in Sunny Isles. "He said that when he was going into his building in Sunny Isles, even the security guard was coming up to him and saying, 'Hey, you're all over TV,' and he thought everyone was joking with him," said Montgomery.

Investigators say they used the video images to check against passengers that boarded various flights around the time of the theft Tuesday from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. That turned up a photo of Ramos, who regularly flies between New York and Florida, buying and selling cars.

When police asked Ramos about the watch, "he said it was a gift from God, so I guess his gift ran out today," said Montgomery.

"We called the victim. She is ecstatic. She is very thrilled that he has been arrested and that she's getting her property back," said Montgomery.

Ramos was jailed Friday on grand theft charges. Court and jail records did not list an attorney for him.

(Copyright 2012 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)