A housekeeper employed at the Trump International Beach Resort in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, is facing felony charges after authorities accused him of stealing a guest’s suitcase directly from a hotel room. The arrest has drawn attention not only because of the allegations themselves but also because it marks the second employee from the same luxury resort to be arrested within a matter of days over separate theft accusations involving hotel guests.
Investigators say surveillance footage, electronic key-card records, and statements made during questioning all played significant roles in building the case against the employee. While the stolen suitcase was eventually recovered and returned to its owner, the incident has raised fresh concerns about guest security, employee access to hotel rooms, and the importance of internal monitoring systems within the hospitality industry.
Who Is Jerome Garrett-Hudson and What Are the Allegations Against Him?
Jerome Leon Garrett-Hudson, 38, of North Miami, worked as a housekeeper at the Trump International Beach Resort, a beachfront hotel located at 18001 Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach. According to investigators, Garrett-Hudson became the focus of a police investigation after a hotel guest reported that her suitcase had disappeared from her room over the weekend. The guest informed authorities that she had never authorized anyone, including hotel employees, to remove her luggage and immediately reported the missing suitcase after realizing it was gone.
The Sunny Isles Beach Police Department responded to the hotel following the guest’s complaint and began reviewing evidence to determine what had happened. Investigators first examined surveillance footage from inside the resort, which reportedly showed Garrett-Hudson leaving the floor where the guest’s room was located before exiting the hotel carrying a suitcase that matched the description of the one reported stolen. The video became one of the earliest pieces of evidence pointing investigators toward the hotel employee.
Before police formally questioned Garrett-Hudson, a hotel security advisor reportedly interviewed him regarding the missing property. According to the arrest report, Garrett-Hudson denied entering the guest’s room and also denied finding or removing any lost or abandoned property from the hotel. His statements, however, were later compared with electronic access records maintained by the hotel.
Investigators reviewed the hotel’s electronic key-card logs, which document employee access to guest rooms. Those records allegedly showed that Garrett-Hudson’s assigned employee key card had been used twice to enter the victim’s room during the relevant time period. The electronic records contradicted his earlier denial that he had entered the room, prompting detectives to question him further.
During a subsequent interview with detectives, Garrett-Hudson reportedly changed portions of his account. Police said he eventually acknowledged entering the room but claimed he left shortly afterward because he saw suitcases inside and believed the room was not yet ready to be cleaned. According to investigators, he maintained that he had not taken anything and insisted that when he left work that day he was carrying only his personal backpack.
Detectives then confronted Garrett-Hudson with a still image reportedly taken from the hotel’s surveillance system. Police said the image appeared to show him leaving the property with a suitcase matching the victim’s missing luggage. According to the arrest report, Garrett-Hudson subsequently made an admission, although the specific contents of that statement were redacted from the publicly released police documents. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the full details of what he told investigators following the presentation of the surveillance evidence.
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The missing suitcase was later recovered by investigators and returned to its owner. Police did not indicate whether any items inside the luggage were missing or damaged when it was recovered. Garrett-Hudson was ultimately arrested and charged with theft of personal property by a hotel employee, which is classified as a third-degree felony under Florida law. As of Tuesday morning following his arrest, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $2,500 bond while the criminal case moves through the legal system.
How Investigators Used Surveillance Footage and Electronic Records to Build the Case
The investigation into the missing suitcase demonstrates how modern hotels increasingly rely on multiple layers of security technology to investigate incidents involving guest property. In this case, detectives did not depend on a single piece of evidence but instead compared surveillance recordings, electronic room-access records, witness interviews, and statements provided by the suspect throughout the investigation.
Surveillance cameras reportedly captured Garrett-Hudson moving through the hotel before leaving the property with what investigators described as a suitcase matching the victim’s luggage. While surveillance footage alone may not always establish every element of a theft case, it can provide investigators with valuable information about movements within the property and help identify individuals who may have had contact with stolen items.
Equally important were the hotel’s electronic key-card records. Modern hotel key systems automatically record when employee key cards are used to access guest rooms, creating a digital log that can later be reviewed if questions arise. According to investigators, those records showed Garrett-Hudson’s employee key had been used twice to enter the victim’s room, contradicting his initial statement denying entry. The electronic evidence reportedly became a significant factor during detectives’ interview with him.
Police also documented changes in Garrett-Hudson’s explanation during questioning. Initially denying any entry into the room, he later acknowledged that he had accessed it but claimed he left after believing it was not ready for housekeeping services because personal luggage remained inside. Detectives continued questioning him regarding the property he possessed when leaving work, and he reportedly stated that he had only his backpack.
When investigators presented the surveillance image allegedly showing him exiting the hotel with the suitcase, police said Garrett-Hudson then provided an admission. Because portions of his statement remain redacted in publicly available records, authorities have not disclosed exactly what he admitted during questioning. Nevertheless, investigators concluded there was sufficient probable cause to arrest him on the felony theft charge.
The recovery of the suitcase also represented an important development in the case. Although police have not released details explaining how the luggage was recovered or exactly where it was found, authorities confirmed that it was returned to the guest. Recovering stolen property often strengthens investigations by allowing detectives to verify ownership, inspect the condition of the items, and preserve evidence where appropriate.
The case also illustrates the close coordination between hotel security personnel and local law enforcement. Hotel security staff reportedly questioned Garrett-Hudson before police officers arrived and later assisted investigators by providing surveillance footage and electronic access records. Such cooperation frequently plays a key role in investigations involving alleged crimes committed within hotels, where internal records can help establish timelines and employee movements.
Like all criminal defendants, Garrett-Hudson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The allegations outlined in the arrest report represent the findings of investigators at this stage of the case, and the criminal proceedings will ultimately determine whether the prosecution can prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Second Employee Arrest Adds to Concerns at Trump International Beach Resort
Garrett-Hudson’s arrest attracted additional attention because it came only days after another employee at the same resort was arrested in an unrelated theft investigation. Although the two cases are separate and involve different victims and circumstances, the timing has inevitably drawn public scrutiny toward security procedures at the hotel.
According to police, another employee, Monica Latesha Peterson, 33, of Miami Gardens, was arrested on Saturday after investigators accused her of stealing $6,500 in cash from a guest’s hotel room while the guest attended a soccer match on Friday. Authorities have indicated that the investigations are unrelated, but the arrests occurring within such a short period have raised questions about employee oversight and safeguards designed to protect guests’ belongings.
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Hotels routinely provide employees with controlled access to guest rooms as part of housekeeping, maintenance, and other operational responsibilities. That access is necessary for daily hotel operations but also places significant responsibility on staff members to maintain guests’ trust and protect their personal property. Most hotels implement strict security protocols, including employee background checks, electronic access controls, surveillance systems, and internal investigations whenever complaints involving guest property arise.
The use of electronic key-card systems has become an especially important security measure because every authorized room entry can typically be recorded and reviewed later. Combined with surveillance cameras positioned throughout common areas, these technologies help investigators reconstruct events when allegations of theft or unauthorized room access occur. In this case, authorities cited both surveillance footage and electronic room-entry records as central pieces of evidence supporting the arrest.
For travelers, incidents involving alleged theft by hotel employees can understandably create concerns about the safety of their belongings while staying away from home. Hospitality experts often recommend that guests secure valuables in hotel safes whenever possible, keep records of expensive items they travel with, and promptly report any missing property to hotel management and law enforcement. Immediate reporting allows investigators to review surveillance footage and electronic records before evidence becomes more difficult to obtain.
The Trump International Beach Resort case also highlights the importance of hotels responding quickly when guests report missing property. According to the investigation, hotel security personnel became involved early by interviewing the employee and assisting police with access records and surveillance materials. Such cooperation can significantly improve investigators’ ability to establish timelines and determine what occurred.
As Garrett-Hudson’s criminal case proceeds through the Florida court system, prosecutors will present the evidence collected during the investigation, while the defense will have the opportunity to challenge the allegations and evidence presented by law enforcement. The outcome will depend on the judicial process and the evidence ultimately introduced in court.
For now, the case remains another example of how alleged thefts inside hotels are increasingly investigated through a combination of surveillance technology, digital access records, employee interviews, and cooperation between hotel management and local police. With the stolen suitcase recovered and returned to its owner, investigators have completed the initial phase of the investigation, but the legal proceedings against Jerome Garrett-Hudson are only beginning as the court determines the outcome of the charges against the former hotel housekeeper.