HOUSTON – A housekeeper and caregiver has been accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from her clients, some of whom had life-threatening illnesses.
Mary Jones Smith, 57, was charged with first-degree felony theft.
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Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables said they received at least nine reports for major jewelry thefts from homes in the Champions area in north Harris County.
Detectives said that over the course of the investigation, they learned that all of the victims had Smith as a housekeeper.
More than $350,000 worth to jewelry was stolen from the homes over the course of several years. Four of the victims were battling life-threatening illnesses and Smith served as a caretaker for them, officials said.
Deputy constables said they got in contact with several pawn shops and gold buyers, and were able to recover some of the stolen items.
Jones spoke with investigators and admitted to stealing the jewelry, investigators said. She also named several other victims that detectives were not aware of, deputy constables said.
Smith has been booked into the Harris County Jail with bond set at $500,000.