“My victim took on the task of caring for her dying mother the last few months of her life in her home, but she needed help. She had a regular handyman help with the upkeep of her house, and she paid his wife to act as a caretaker, helping care for her mother. After the victim’s mother died on January 4th, she began the task of going through her keepsakes. The victim first noticed the ring that her mother always wore as missing. She also noticed her own wedding ring missing from her own bedroom that she had put away when her husband passed away. I did a search through LeadsOnline and learned that the female caretaker had pawned over 20 items of jewelry belonging to the victim and her deceased mother. The victim did not even realize that much of her mother’s jewelry was missing. The pawn shop cooperated with the investigation, but regrettably, only a portion of the jewelry was recovered. The caretaker was arrested and charged with felony theft. It was learned that she had been stealing from the dying mother and the victim over the course of three months. Luckily, the victim recovered her wedding ring and some of her mom’s jewelry, which all had sentimental value above and beyond the appraisal value.”
Sgt. Michael Jones
Matteson Police Department
Illinois