More Jewelry-Theft Victims Come Forward

Four more victims of thefts of jewelry have called the Barrington police since the arrest last Friday, Jan. 4, of an East Providence woman who apparently worked for them as a cleaning lady.

Barrington Police Chief John LaCross said all of the additional victims live in Riverside. Police charged a Riverside woman, Maria Gagnon, 56, of 10 Heath Court, with stealing 6 rings worth more than $1,500 from a Barrington woman who had recently hired her.

The police chief also praised the work of Det. Benjamin Ferreira on the case.

“He did a great job,” LaCross said. “The victim got all of her jewelry back.”

Three of the rings were still in Gagnon’s possession, he said. She cooperated with the detective and “voluntarily gave back three rings” when she was confronted by him.

The other three rings were found in a Pawtucket pawn shop, LaCross said, the last pawn shop he visited with a description of the rings. The pawn shop’s records show Gagnon sold the missing jewelry to the store on Dec. 26. Visits to the other pawn shops had turned up nothing.

The latest victims to report theft of jewelry were to be called in to the police station to view a jewelry box taken from Gagnon. 

The Barrington victim hired Gagnon approximately two months ago to clean her home and noticed several rings missing after a recent cleaning, said LaCross. She later identified the jewelry as belonging to her.

Records show the defendant also has sold numerous pieces of jewelry to local pawn shops dating back to October of 2012, said LaCross. Most of the jewelry has probably been melted down already.

Gagnon has been arraigned so far on one count of felony larceny. She was released from District Court on $10,000 personal recognizance.  

LaCross said also that everyone with expensive jewelry should photograph it. Ferreira had to use descriptions only. Photographs are much more valuable when jewelry comes up missing, he said.