Police continue to investigate last month’s theft of more than $50,000 worth of jewelry from a home in the Porpoise Bay section of The Moorings but so far have no suspects.
The robbers struck in broad daylight while John and Jennifer Elmore, who own and operate Jennifer Elmore Interior Design and A Shade Better, were at work.
The couple didn’t notice anything amiss when they returned home that evening. It wasn’t until the next day when Jennifer Elmore was getting ready for work that the theft came to light.
She opened a dresser drawer to grab a piece of jewelry and noticed an entire section of her jewelry box was missing.
“At first I thought I wasn’t seeing it right,” Jennifer Elmore said. “I was in disbelief. I was in shock that our house had been invaded.”
She began yelling for her husband, who ran upstairs to see what was wrong. He quickly called the sheriff’s department.
When police arrived, sheriff’s detective Ismael Hau noticed that a kitchen window was slightly opened and the latch that locks the window was missing. The Elmores, who are careful to lock their windows when they’re not home, had not noticed because the suspect or suspects had closed the wooden blinds to conceal the break-in.
Detectives dusted for fingerprints and are waiting for the results to be processed, according to sheriff’s office reports. They’ve also contacted area pawn shops and asked them to keep an eye out for the stolen jewelry.
Among the items taken was a gold bracelet Jennifer Elmore recently received from her husband to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary and several charm bracelets, which included jewelry pieces given to her over the years by her now grown children.
“Those bracelets are only worth $3,500 to $4,000,” Jennifer Elmore said. “But you can’t put a price tag on them because they were from my children. They tell the story of my life. Those things can’t be replaced.”
Detective Hau told the couple that the culprit very likely is somebody they know. That is often the case in robberies like this, several detectives said.
The robber, or robbers, appeared to know when the Elmores would be away from home. They also knew exactly what they wanted.
“Nothing else in the house was touched,” Jennifer Elmore said. “Right next to the jewelry was a drawer filled with pearls, and they left that. John has a coin collection that was in plain view and they ignored it.
“They were very particular. They had already chosen what they wanted.”
“It’s something you hear about your whole life, but never think it will happen to you,” John Elmore said. “The hard part is knowing someone was in your house, they invaded your privacy.
“I don’t think we’ll ever feel the same again.”
The experience prompted the Elmores to re-evaluate their home security.
Although they always make sure the doors and windows are locked, they previously didn’t use rods to prevent someone from opening the windows even if they break the latch, John Elmore said.
“The biggest thing people can do is keep your valuables hidden or locked away,” he said. The couple also realized the importance of installing a home security system, which can discourage burglaries.
“Most people do a good job of securing their homes when they go on a trip,” John Elmore said. “But day-to-day they get lax.”
The Elmores shared their story with Vero Beach 32963 in the hope that their neighbors will benefit from their mistakes. They also hope someone may have information about the Oct. 4 burglary and contact sheriff’s investigators.
