Police Nab Suspected Jewelry Thieves

The caretaker of a 69-year-old woman was behind bars today on suspicion of taking $13,000 of her employer’s jewelry, police reported.

Janet Marie Montero, 50, of Desert Hot Springs was arrested in Victorville on Thursday on suspicion of embezzlement, residential burglary and grand theft, said Sgt. Daniel Bressler of the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.

Montero was employed by a Cathedral City-based health care company to take care of the victim, Bressler said.

The victim didn’t see Montero take the jewelry, but maintained that no one else had had the same access to her home, according to Bressler.

In 2008 Montero pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of shoplifting and was sentenced to two years’ probation. Her probation won’t expire until April 7 this year.

The victim said a Tiffany & Co. jewelry box was taken that contained the wedding ring given to her by her deceased husband, along with a gold watch, a gold bracelet, a pendant and other gold rings, Bressler said.

The sergeant said detectives found some of the jewelry at a Palm Springs jewelry store. They learned the jewelry had been pawned by Barbara Francis Scotti, 44, of Cathedral City.

Scotti was interviewed and later arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, Bressler said.

Detectives were also able to track down the watch, bracelet and pendant, he said.

The wedding ring and a few other items are still missing.

If anyone has any information about these items, they were asked to call police at (760) 329-6411.