Police: Men beat woman’s former roommates while she robs Miami Beach apartment

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Police arrested a woman Thursday after she was accused of robbing her former roommates in a scheme where two men would beat the man and the woman inside a Miami Beach apartment so that she could steal over $7,200 worth of goods.

According to a warrant, Miami Beach police responded after receiving a call of a home invasion robbery on Nov. 25 at an apartment near the 1800 block of Collins Avenue.

Upon arrival, police said they spoke with a man on the sidewalk outside of the apartment who was bleeding from his face and his shirt was stained with blood. The man led police to a woman who he said also lived inside his apartment and who had visible injuries and blood running down her left forearm.

According to police, Hakima Cherier, 35, of Miami, Kevin Mbilu, 34, and Alain Chelalalastra, 25, entered the front door of the apartment after a handyman was changing the locks to the victims’ home.

Detectives said they spoke with the handyman as part of the investigation and told them he was in the process of changing the locks on the door when the three suspects barged into the apartment. The man confirmed that the suspects battered both victims and told police that he ran away from the apartment after fearing for his safety, according to police.

Once inside, Mbilu and Chelalalastra began to physically attack the victims in the living room of the apartment, according to police. Authorities said both victims told police that Mbilu, who wore gloves when entering the home, displayed a knife during the robbery. After he was arrested, Mbliu said the reason for the gloves was that he wore them when he rode a motorcycle.

While both victims were being beaten, Cherier kicked open the victim’s bedroom door and began removing items within the room, detectives said.

The victims stated that the suspects stole an estimated $7,250 in items which included an ASUS laptop, an Apple iPhone 13, an Apple iPhone SE, a Louis Vuitton purse, a Gucci handbag and two Gucci belts.

Detectives later discovered that Cherier was a former roommate of the victims and had removed the female’s property from the apartment in the early morning of Nov. 23, two days before the home invasion robbery.

The victims told police that Cherier left the property after having multiple altercations with them while they were living together, authorities said, and that Miami Beach police had been called to the apartment numerous times because of disturbances.

The female victim said that Cherier brought Mbilu and Chelalalastra to the apartment on Nov. 22 despite her objections about having people in her home.

Investigators were able to collect fingerprints from a cellphone that belonged to Cherier, which was left in the apartment on the day of the robbery.

Surveillance video from the apartment complex showed the three suspects arriving at the apartment building on foot and entering through the front door. Surveillance also showed the three suspects then fleeing the scene by using the rear exit and parking garage area, according to the arrest warrant.

Police said Cherier was seen carrying multiple items, which appeared to be consistent with the items stolen from the victims. According to police, Chelalalastra was arrested on Nov. 25 and confessed to the incident through a video recording.

Detectives said Mbilu was taken into custody on Dec 1. on an unrelated incident and brought in for questioning.

According to Cherier’s arrest warrant, Miami Beach Police’s Robbery Unit attempted to locate her at multiple addresses and locations without success.

Police said Cherier was arrested around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 15, at her home located near the 250 block of Southwest 11th Street in Miami.

She is facing charges of armed home invasion with a deadly weapon and robbery with a deadly weapon.

According to jail records. Mbilu and Chelalalastra were also charged with armed home invasion with a deadly weapon and robbery with a deadly weapon.