A 69-year-old Ocala woman who rented out a room in her home is facing a grand theft charge after her tenant accused her of stealing over $1,000 worth of electronic devices.
On Thursday, July 10, the male victim contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to report that his landlord, identified as Olga Esther Bonano, had entered his room and stolen the following items: two “SSD hard drives” ($500 value), two “512 MB USB flash drives” ($500 value), and a “USB to USB-C converter” ($100 value), according to the arrest report.
The victim stated that he began renting a room at Bonano’s home approximately six weeks ago. He stated that on Wednesday, July 9, he spoke with Bonano regarding rent that was owed, and he felt that “something was off with (her)” after their conversation.
According to the victim’s statement, his electronic devices were taken from his room between the hours of 8 p.m. on July 9 and 10 a.m. on July 10. He stated that he confronted Bonano, who allegedly admitted to the theft and advised that she would “return (the items) when he paid rent.”
The report stated that the victim kept the door to his room “shut and locked.” The victim was aware that Bonano had a spare key to the bedroom and another room, which he was allowed to use as an office, though the victim stated that Bonano did not have permission to enter his room without him being present.
An MCSO deputy made contact with Bonano over the phone, and she allegedly admitted to taking the victim’s electronic devices because he “owed her a check.” Bonano claimed that she took the devices from the office, though the victim stated that the devices had been kept inside his locked room.
Later in the day on July 10, the deputy made contact with Bonano at her home. After being read her Miranda rights, Bonano initially stated that she “rarely enters the [victim’s] room,” though she later clarified that she periodically entered the victim’s room to “check if the lights are off and it is clean,” according to the report.
In the report, the deputy noted that Bonano had returned the items to the victim after he wrote her a check in the amount of $200.
The deputy determined that Bonano “intentionally deprived the victim of his property,” and she was placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail. She was released the following day after posting a $2,500 bond, and she is being charged with grand theft (over $750 but less than $5,000).
On Tuesday, August 12, Bonano is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.