A woman hired to clean an elderly couple’s home in Port St. Lucie is accused of helping herself to their jewelry valued at more than $5,000.
Port St. Lucie Police arrested Christine Baptiste, 33, who has since been charged with six counts each of dealing in stolen property and giving false information to a pawn broker, and two counts each of grand theft of a person 65 or older and exploitation of elderly. She is being held at the county jail in lieu of $96,000 bail.
According to the police department, the couple hired Baptiste to clean their home earlier this year and asked her to return in late June for a second time after Baptiste gained their trust.
That June evening, after Baptiste had cleaned the home, the couple discovered a few pieces of jewelry were missing.
Police investigated and determined that Baptiste had gone to a pawn shop and pawned the missing items. The victims, described only as being in their 80s, met detectives at the pawn shop and identified their jewelry, which was valued at more than $5,000.
What the pawn broker paid Baptiste for the purloined jewelry was not mentioned in the report.
Police said video footage from the pawn shop, along with fingerprints from the six pawn transaction receipts, confirmed Baptiste as the suspect.
