A housekeeper at a local hotel has been charged with theft after police say she stole two necklaces from a guest’s room and sold them to a pawn shop in Franklin.
Lena Perez, 31, Nineveh, was charged with theft, a Class A misdemeanor, on Jan. 19.
Indiana Conservation Officer Brent Bohbrink reported that he received a complaint about the stolen jewelry after guests stayed at the hotel the weekend of June 25 for their wedding.
The bride wore the gold, diamond and emerald necklaces, which were family heirlooms, during the ceremony, the report said. She took them off and placed them in a small box, along with her earrings and other jewelry after returning to their room June 23, the report said.
When the couple returned to their room June 25 after visiting Nashville, there was a small card on the floor near the door stating their room had not received housekeeping due to the “do not disturb” sign on the door. The couple then went swimming and when they returned they realized the necklaces were missing.
The rest of the jewelry was still in the box. The couple did not want to report the jewelry missing until they were able to get home and check everything again, the affidavit said.
A general manager told Bohbrink that Perez was the housekeeper for that area the day the jewelry went missing.
On July 25, police said they learned that Perez had sold two necklaces for $200 to a pawn shop in Franklin that matched the description of the missing jewelry.
In a follow-up interview that day, Perez denied going into the guests’ room but said she found the necklaces in the couple’s “door threshold” and sold them, the affidavit said.
The necklaces were returned to the couple.
