Paola Co Carita Gobel, a 32-year-old also known as ‘the Criminal Barbie’ and ‘Catwoman’, has been arrested after she and three men allegedly rented a luxury flat in a bid to steal from rich neighbours
A 32-year-old woman dubbed ‘the Criminal Barbie’ has been arrested after she allegedly hatched a plot to burgle multiple luxury flats as part of an elaborate scam.
Paola Co Carita Gobel was detained this week along with three other men on suspicion of infiltrating the high-end complex in Belo Horizonte, Brazil to carry out the burglaries. Also nicknamed ‘Catwoman’ (‘Mulher Gato’) by local media, Gobel has repeatedly been accused of charming her way into luxury residential buildings – often by posing as a resident’s friend, relative, or an escort – before stealing valuable items. She was previously arrested for similar offences back in October 2023, when she was eventually handed community service and a fine.
In the latest scheme, Gobel and the group allegedly rented a flat within the block as a base for them to carry out multiple burglaries.
But neighbours grew suspicious when they were seen moving in on November 14 with only a few mattresses and a pair of suitcases, and they were later spotted filming neighbouring properties with their faces covered.
After a tip-off, police began investigating the rental agreement, and discovered it was signed the name of a civil servant who had previously reported being the victim of identity theft.
Marcel Willian Oliveira de Souza, police chief for ParaÃba from Brazil’s Special Department of Criminal Investigations (DEIC), said these “inconsistences” combined with the eyewitness accounts of suspicious behaviour led them to believe the property was being used for criminal purposes. Detectives also believe cloned credit cards may have been used for rental payments, he added.
A raid was carried out on November 19, where police discovered drugs, the fraudulent rental agreement and a stolen car in the garage. During the raid, one of the suspects broke a mobile phone to stop it from being seized.
Civil Police are currently awaiting forensic analysis to access data from the four suspects’ phones, and are trying to establish if other people had been inside the flat with them.
The group was charged with criminal conspiracy, falsifying vehicle registration numbers, handling stolen goods, trespassing, and using a false identity .
Detailing Gobel’s criminal past, police chief Mr Oliveira de Souza said: “Among those arrested, we can highlight that there were two who had already been arrested previously by the DEIC, the São Paulo State Department of Criminal Investigations, for more serious criminal activities. This young woman who was arrested even had nicknames: ‘Catwoman’ and ‘Barbie of Crime’. They were inside this residence, most likely, already prepared for criminal activities.”
He said Gobel was previously involved in a burglary at a flat where “approximately one million reais (£140,000) were stolen”, before she was arrested her at her boyfriend’s house, who was found with drugs in his possession.
