A cleaner has arrested and charged with grand theft after a diamond ring valued at $350,000 went missing from a house she was working in.
Cody Mejias, 26, is accused of taking the ring from the home of Robert Hill in Stuart, Florida.
She allegedly sold the ring to a pawn shop for $4,800 and told police she needed the money to feed her children.
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But before the police got involved the Hill family called in top Florida private investigator John Milano, ABC News reports.
He carried out polygraphs tests which, he said, Mejias failed.
Mr Milano said that after the tests, Mejias was avoiding him.
He said: ‘I hunted her down. She refused to come in so we had to get police involved.’
The ring was traced to Jensen Beach Jewelers which is owned by Charles Sarullo.
Mr Sarullo said Mejias had sold him the ring for $4,800.
Mr Milano called Mr Sarullo and said that he returned the ring he would give him the $5,000
The Martin County arrest affidavit states: ‘According to Sarullo, Mejias came in on 12/22/11 and stated she received a diamond ring as an inheritance from a recently deceased aunt.’
Police seized the ring and arrested Mejias who allegedly confessed that she stole it while cleaning the Hill residence.
The affidavit said: ‘Mejias was apologetic and stated she needed the money to feed her children.’
‘Mejias advised the money she retrieved from the transaction was used for food, gas, Christmas gifts and bills.’
Mejias, who is being held on a $20,000 bond, also wrote the the Hills and apologized.
Milano said the ring is unusual. He said: ‘The main stone is an oddity, a 10.38-carat emerald-cut diamond. The side diamonds are also one carat each and kite-shaped, which is an unusual
