My cleaning lady stole my engagement ring (and other jewelry) - what to do?

[Anonymous]

When I was three years old my mother put me down for a nap. I did not want to take a nap. I cried and fussed but she insisted that it was naptime, just like every other day. She went into the kitchen to clean and I snuck into her bedroom, found her engagement ring, and ate it. Thankfully, I walked into the kitchen and defiantly told her what I had done. One panicked phone call to the pediatrician and multiple days of poop searching later, the ring was found. Moral of story: weird things happened to jewelry. I'd look further, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

doodlebug wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pppssshhhh close family is much more likely to screw you over statically then a house cleaner.

Yep. Especially if they're hiding a gambling or drug addiction.

this is what i was thinking too.

If my family members were that hard-pressed up for money, I would gladly give them money. But they're not. They are well off.

hmm is Wynona Ryder your cousin?

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine someone who has worked for you for three years, just up & steals something, let alone an item she probably knows is important to you! How more obvious could you get?

I think the likely explanations (in order) are: you misplaced it yourself, or the kids played with it, or the cousin took it. But I think the cousin is unlikely

[Anonymous]

Both the cousin and the maid are unlikely because they are infrequently in the house and have something to lose by stealing (relationship, job, getting a police report filed against them, etc). The likeliest explanation is OP or her husband or kids misplaced it because they are the ones who are always in the house and could easily do something like that and forget. Or lie, in the kids' case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
There is literally no other explanation. Only my parents and my close cousin who is like a sister have visited me. They are even more unlikely than a non-related family member like the cleaner. We have not had anyone else visit during the last several weeks when these items went missing. I've searched EVERYWHERE.

...there is "literally" no other explanation except:

1) You misplaced the jewelry box yourself.
2) Your relatives took/misplaced the jewelry box.
3) Your children took/misplaced the jewelry box.

So "literally" there are 3 other explanations than the one you "literally" think is the only explanation.

If you have cameras in every part of your home, can you review the camera footage between when you last saw the items in question and when you believe they were taken in order to ascertain whether someone other than the people mentioned were in your house? For example, if you have a camera that covers the bedroom door, you could review that footage to see, for example, if the cleaning lady/your parents/your cousin/your 4yo emerged from your room carrying the jewelry box.

Please do this BEFORE you call the police or make any accusations. Because if you say, "Yes, we have cameras" they will absolutely ask if you reviewed the footage.

[Anonymous]

My sister's gold high school ring was taken by my mother's best friend's daughter, who was five, and liked to go in other people's rooms and look around. It would have broken up the friendship to make the accusation so my mother let it go. I'm sorry for the loss of your precious jewelry, OP. I hope it turns up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, the 4 year old totally took it and hid it!

We still haven't found where my then 4 year old hid my Fitbit two years ago. She can't remember either.

Pro tip, as I was the jewelry smuggler and hider when I was 6, check your floor vents. I stashed my mom's jewelry in there when I was playing cops & robbers with my cousins. Except I forgot which vents I used. My mom and dad were finding pieces for weeks in various vents.

Also, I hate to say it, but it may have been flushed. DD had a wicked fascination with flushing the toilet at age 4. Anything she could grab went in there and got flushed.

I agree with the poster above.. check the floor vents.. That's where my 3 yr old hid my cell phone one day and I thought I was losing my mind.

+2

Yes, check the floor vents. That's where my nephew hides remote controls.

[Anonymous]

My parents thought their cleaning people took my father's school ring and wedding ring. Three years later, it turned out he put them in his camera bag to get them out of the cleaning people's way that day. This is the cleaning people's livelihood. Would they flush it away for one engagement ring?

[Anonymous]

The cousin.

You say your are close like sisters so she figures you would never in a million years suspect her.

[Anonymous]

So, did the cleaning lady show up? Did you find the box?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: When I was three years old my mother put me down for a nap. I did not want to take a nap. I cried and fussed but she insisted that it was naptime, just like every other day. She went into the kitchen to clean and I snuck into her bedroom, found her engagement ring, and ate it. Thankfully, I walked into the kitchen and defiantly told her what I had done. One panicked phone call to the pediatrician and multiple days of poop searching later, the ring was found. Moral of story: weird things happened to jewelry. I'd look further, OP.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if filing a police report will do you any good since technically you don't have any proof that your maid actually stole your jewelry.
Because the burden of proof would lie w/you on this.

Do you think it is a little odd that your cleaner would actually steal something after working for you for three solid years??

I would explain to her that you cannot find your valuables anywhere in your home, then ask her if she sees them during her cleaning the next time if she can tell you where she found them since you think you may have misplaced them.

Very important:
Watch her reaction very carefully.
Her expression can be very telling.

[Anonymous]

Why do you have cameras all over your house??

[Anonymous]

I'm not the OP, but I have cameras all over my house because my pervert neighbor broke in one time. Guess what he does for a living? Yep, he has keys to a lot of houses where I live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the OP, but I have cameras all over my house because my pervert neighbor broke in one time. Guess what he does for a living? Yep, he has keys to a lot of houses where I live.

You aren't worried that the pervert could hack all of those cameras?

We only have exterior cameras.