ORANGE COUNTY, Florida — A housekeeper who police say stole more than $30,000 worth of jewelry and other items from a Windermere home may have more victims, police say.
- Housekeeper stole jewelry from home, police say
- Shannon Hutchens charged with grand theft
- Windermere Police say there could be more theft victims
Shannon Hutchens, 34, posted bond early Wednesday and is out of jail.
Police investigators said she advertised herself as a housekeeper on Care.com, a site that connects caregivers — from childcare and pet walkers to housekeeping — with posted jobs. The Windermere family had hired her in the past month.
Windermere Police posted pictures, trying to identify the owners of the jewelry, which included earrings, bracelets and necklaces worth thousands.
Police said they were searching for the woman, who was recently evicted from a home in Apopka, and put a warrant out for her arrest. Just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, officers said they'd arrested Hutchens and charged her with second-degree grand theft, a felony charge.
"Some of it was jewelry she'd stolen from the children's room, but a lot of it was stuff they hadn't seen before," Windermere Det. John Allen said. "The majority of the stuff taken wasn't returned. ...
"She pawned not only jewelry but electronic equipment. We're concerned there are other victims out there. We're trying to find anybody else who may have hired her."
In a statement, Care.com said, "We take the safety of our community seriously and are looking into this matter, including proactively reaching out to law enforcement. We can confirm that this individual's profile on Care.com has been permanently closed but as this is an open investigation, we’ll have no further comment."
Police advise people to be careful in checking caregivers' backgrounds. If you have any information, call the Windermere Police Department.
