WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A Winter Haven woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing and pawning thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from an elderly resident who had hired her for odd jobs.
The victim, who contacted the Winter Haven Police Department on November 9th to report the theft, had hired 35-year-old Kalan Davis and her boyfriend in October to help with hurricane cleanup around her home. Davis, while assisting with the cleanup, also offered to do small tasks inside the house.
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According to the victim, Davis was unusually affectionate, often expressing “love” and showering her with compliments. The victim recalled one peculiar incident where she couldn’t find a jewelry box, only for Davis to “find” it after briefly stepping outside.
After Davis and her boyfriend finished the work, the victim noticed approximately $10,000 worth of jewelry missing. When confronted, Davis denied any involvement, claiming she “loved” the victim too much to steal from her.
However, investigators discovered numerous pieces of the victim’s jewelry at pawn shops in Winter Haven, Lakeland, and Auburndale. Davis had received a total of $5,516 for the pawned items.
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A warrant was issued for Davis’ arrest, and she was apprehended on December 7th. She is currently being held in the Polk County Jail on charges of Grand Theft, with a bond set at $25,000. Additional charges may be filed due to the stolen items being pawned in multiple jurisdictions.
“I applaud our victim and her keen recall of the occurrences leading us to make this arrest,” said Police Chief Vance Monroe. “Preying on the elderly is as about as low as you can go, but Davis found out our victim was smarter than she was.”
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