LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A housekeeper at a Las Vegas Strip hotel is accused of stealing $1 million worth of jewelry while describing the alleged burglary on the phone with her boyfriend in prison, documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Tuesday said.
Amanda Melendez faces charges of grand larceny, residential burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary, records showed Tuesday.
On May 7, Las Vegas Metro police were called to the Vdara on the Las Vegas Strip for a report of $1 million worth of jewelry that was missing, documents said.
Three people staying in the room told police they asked for a housekeeper to clean the room, left the room around 7 p.m. and then returned at 11 p.m. to find “their bags were inside out, beds were half made and cleaning supplies were left behind,” documents said.
The $1 million worth of items included several watches, bracelets and diamond jewelry.
Police learned a housekeeping employee, Melendez, was in the room during the time the three occupants were gone, police said. Housekeeping logs also determined Melendez had cleaned the room, showing “she completed cleaning the room” around 8 p.m., documents said.
Hotel investigators also determined a key to access guestrooms was unaccounted for, documents said. Another guest had reported a burglary of $300 on May 5, they said. Police suspect Melendez was using the missing key “to gain unauthorized access to rooms,” documents said.
During an interview with police, Melendez said she cleaned the room and had no information about the missing property. Because there was no probable cause for her arrest, she was allowed to leave and return to work, police said.
Investigators later learned Melendez had been in communication with a Clark County Detention Center inmate, whom she referred to as “daddy,” “master” and “king,” documents said. Police described “daddy” as a person with whom Melendez is in a relationship.
The man, whose name is redacted in documents, was later transferred to prison where the communication with Melendez continued, police said. Between May 5 and May 11, around the time of the burglaries, the man called Melendez 62 times from prison.
It appears the alleged burglary was recorded in one prison call, with Melendez reportedly telling the inmate she would make the guestroom “look like a tornado,” police said. In the recorded prison call, Melendez told the man she was “assigned to clean a room with her key and there was [jewelry and watches] that she found in a room,” documents said.
“She told him that her plan was to leave the door open and make it look like ‘something else,’” the document said. The call also included Melendez “clocking out and telling her coworkers, ‘see you guys tomorrow,’” police said.
Police said MGM Resorts, which operates Vdara, hired Melendez in November 2022. She had three soliciting and engaging in prostitution charges on her record, police said. The Clark County District Attorney’s Office declined to pursue all three charges.
Police did not write anything about returning the stolen property to the victims.
Melendez made her first court appearance on May 16 and paid a surety bond. She was due in court again in June.
A spokesperson for MGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
