Belize: Maid accused of stealing $19K worth of jewelry and cash on first day of work

Belize: The start of a new job has quickly turned into a criminal investigation after Samara Moody, a 26-year-old domestic worker was accused of stealing jewelry and cash valued at $19,050 from her employer. 

A 39-year-old businesswoman by the name of Abigail Moguel of Buttonwood Bay has accused Samara of robbing her on her first day of work. 

Samara, the resident of Perez Road in Ladyville, has found herself at the centre of a criminal investigation being accused of robbing the businesswoman while she was away at work. 

Reportedly Samara stole the items and cash on Friday June 20 when she came to the house to do her work and was instructed by Abigail Moguel to clean the entire house except the walk-in closet in her and her husband's room.

After explicitly instructing her not to enter the walk-in closet, she allegedly left for work, leaving Samara behind to clean the house. However when she came back home she found that the entire house had been cleaned including her walk-in closet that had the clothes neatly arranged. 

Upon examination of her jewelry box, she discovered several pieces of jewelry were missing including a 14K gold XO chain worth $1,500, 14K gold rosary chain also valued at $1,500, a 14K gold Michael Kors bracelet worth $350, and a gold bracelet with diamonds on each link valued at $6,000. 

Also missing was the 14K gold ring with four rows of diamonds valued at $2,500, another 14K gold ring with elevated rectangular diamonds worth $1,500, a Tory Burch Eleanor stainless steel gold watch worth $2,000, and a Gucci stainless steel gold watch worth $3,000.

Additionally  $700 in cash in various denominations was taken, bringing the total value of the stolen items to $19,050.

Upon examining the CCTV footage, the police found no sign of forced entry into the house and the surveillance footage only showed the family members and Moody entering and exiting the premises during the time in question. This led the police to name Moody as the prime suspect in the case and issued a wanted poster featuring Moody's image. 

According to sources, Moody submitted herself to the police at the Ladyville Police Station Monday of July 8 around 7:45, although on the following day she was relocated to Precinct 3 on Queen Street in Belize City. 

During a video recorded questioning session Moody admitted to have stolen the items but when she appeared before the court house she pleaded not guilty. 

She was granted bail and her court proceedings were scheduled for September 4, 2025.

Moody’s  bail of $2,000 came with strict conditions that involved her reporting at the Ladyville Police Station every Friday between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Another condition given to her was for her to stay at least 100 yards away from Moguel at all times. She was also instructed to stop all communication with her and her family whether through phone calls, text messages or in person.