‘Everything that she had’: Miami woman arrested in Martin County for posing as bank representative
MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. —
A Miami woman was arrested in Martin County after allegedly posing as a bank representative to scam residents out of thousands of dollars, according to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek.
Newly released aerial footage shows sheriff’s deputies following the suspect, 32-year-old Monquie Turnbull, on I-95 before stopping her vehicle. Body camera footage captured Turnbull exiting her car and being questioned by deputies.
“You’re going to be placed under arrest,” a deputy said in the footage.
Budensiek said Turnbull drove from Miami to Martin County, where she approached two residents, claiming their debit cards were compromised and needed to be turned in for replacement.
“They stated that their card was compromised and they needed to turn their card in and they were going to replace their card for them,” Budensiek said.
One resident was scammed out of hundreds of dollars.
“The victim notices pretty quick that not long after the suspect left, there’s $3,180 now missing from her account,” Budensiek said.
While investigators were handling that case, they received a second 911 call matching the suspect’s description and vehicle. Deputies began their search.
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“She was located as she came eastbound on Bridge Road and then she turned around and was going westbound on Bridge Road, which is the video you saw her getting arrested,” Budensiek said.
Officials later discovered Turnbull had entered the jail with about $3,200 hidden in one of her body parts.
“She took our first victim’s card, withdrew $3,180, and that’s the exact amount recovered from inside her person in the jail,” Budensiek said.
The sheriff urged residents to be cautious if someone comes to their home claiming to be from a bank and asking for credit cards.
“This particular incidence, this was all the money that this lady had, this was her rent money, it was everything that she had, and she handed it over to a scammer,” Budensiek said.
The sheriff is asking anyone who may have been a victim to contact authorities.
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