Orange County Sheriff Investigating Burglaries at Ritz-Carlton

A New Jersey surgeon visiting the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Hotel for his 40th wedding anniversary said more than a quarter-million dollars in cash and jewelry were stolen from his room over the weekend.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Sunday that it is investigating several burglaries that occurred Saturday in rooms at the hotel.

“The estimated total is in excess of $200,000,” Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Leonard said Sunday. Two or three rooms were involved, he said. He would not name victims nor specify losses. Hotel officials refused comment.

Dr. Harold Fischer, 68, of Short Hills, N.J., said he and his family went to the beach Saturday afternoon and returned to discover “our suite was broken into, and two safes were opened up. We’ve lost all our credit cards, our jewelry, our cash and our personal belongings. Everything has been stolen. And we hear that there’s been other robberies in the hotel” over the weekend.

Fischer said his family’s loss included $270,000 in jewelry, about $6,000 in cash and return plane tickets to New Jersey. “We have nothing left,” he said.

Fischer charged in an interview Sunday that hotel management had been less than helpful.

“They told me the hotel is not responsible for the safes,” which are built into the suite. “We’re getting no assistance.”

Fischer said he notified hotel management but heard nothing for several hours, he said.

“I kept trying to call police myself, but my calls were just routed by the switchboard to the hotel security office.”

Finally, about 8 p.m., he said he phoned the Sheriff’s Department, “and the sheriff’s people told me that they were already at the hotel, investigating other (burglaries).”

An answering service for the Ritz-Carlton chain’s corporate office in Atlanta said no one was available to comment.