A 32-year-old woman known as ‘the Criminal Barbie’ was recently apprehended for allegedly orchestrating a plan to burglarize multiple upscale apartments in a sophisticated scam.
Paola Co Carita Gobel, along with three accomplices, was captured on suspicion of infiltrating a luxury complex in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to carry out the burglaries. Referred to as ‘Catwoman’ (‘Mulher Gato’) by local media, Gobel has a history of gaining unauthorized access to high-end residential buildings by deceiving occupants, often by posing as a friend, relative, or escort, and then absconding with valuable items. She had previously faced charges for similar offenses in October 2023, resulting in community service and a fine.
In the recent incident, Gobel and her cohorts allegedly rented an apartment within the complex to serve as a base for their burglary operations. However, suspicions arose among neighbors when they observed them moving in on November 14 with minimal belongings and later capturing footage of neighboring properties while concealing their identities.
Following a tip-off, law enforcement began probing the rental agreement and discovered that it was signed under the name of a civil servant who had previously reported identity theft. Marcel Willian Oliveira de Souza, the police chief for ParaÃba from Brazil’s Special Department of Criminal Investigations (DEIC), stated that discrepancies in the rental arrangement, coupled with eyewitness reports of suspicious activities, led authorities to believe the premises were being utilized for illicit purposes. Investigators suspect that cloned credit cards might have been used for rental payments.
A police raid conducted on November 19 uncovered drugs, a fraudulent rental agreement, and a stolen vehicle in the garage. During the operation, one suspect attempted to destroy a mobile phone to prevent its seizure. The Civil Police are awaiting forensic analysis to extract data from the suspects’ phones and are exploring the possibility of additional individuals being present in the apartment.
The group faces charges of criminal conspiracy, falsifying vehicle registration numbers, handling stolen goods, trespassing, and utilizing false identities. Detailing Gobel’s criminal history, Police Chief Oliveira de Souza highlighted that two of the arrested individuals had prior run-ins with the law for more severe offenses investigated by the DEIC. Gobel, also referred to as ‘Catwoman’ and ‘Barbie of Crime,’ was involved in a previous burglary where approximately one million reais (£140,000) were stolen. She was arrested at her boyfriend’s residence, where drugs were discovered in his possession.