GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Police in Gwinnett County are looking for potentially dozens of homeowners who've had valuables stolen from their home and likely don’t even realize it.
Investigators say a cleaning lady took a few valuables at a time, each time she cleaned a house.
Police say Shelly Stancil has confessed to swiping at least $15,000 worth of items. She had full access to the homes. The items she took included sterling silverware and different types of jewelry.
One victim, Janet Bowers, said the most valuable thing Stancil has taken was trust.
She told Channel 2’s Tony Thomas she feels guilty after recommending the woman to friends.
Bowers says most of her family's sterling silverware sets are gone. They were apparently taken over a period of months.
“I can't describe how I felt; just that feeling in your stomach when you realize something is gone,” Bowers said.
Gwinnett County and Lilburn police departments have charged Stancil with the theft of silverware and jewelry from three victims so far.
Investigators say Stancil has confessed to taking the valuables to a Barrow County gold store and selling it for cents on the dollar.
“She said she was just running through some hard times and she needed some extra money. So as she would be cleaning, she would just take some valuables here and there,” said Gwinnett County police investigator Cody Belcher.
Police say the valuables were always from drawers or boxes that were rarely opened. Records show Stancil sold items to the store 67 times last year. Much of it, police have no idea who it belonged to. So they believe there are likely many more victims out there.
Police say a ring worth $8,000 sold for $50.
“I think the breaking of the trust was worse than the theft of the silver,” Bowers said.
Thomas tried reaching out to Stancil for comment. She's bonded out of jail.
WSBTV
