A Leesburg cleaning lady was arrested on a warrant this week after allegedly stealing necklaces and a diamond pendant from a client’s home.
A deputy responded to a theft involving 33-year-old Laura Louise Lockhart at an undisclosed residence in Lady Lake on the afternoon of April 16, according to a warrant affidavit from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. He spoke with a married couple about the incident as the wife cried over missing jewelry.
The husband explained that he hired a cleaning crew from The Maids Cleaning Service, consisting of Lockhart and an unidentified person. They arrived at 11:10 a.m. before beginning their work and were instructed not to enter the bedroom closets, the affidavit said.
Once they began cleaning, the husband grew concerned when he did not see them in the main living area. He checked on them and found Lockhart inside his wife’s closet, where she stored her jewelry. The other cleaning crew member was standing in the hallway between the closets, the affidavit said.
The husband confronted them about this, reiterating that they were not allowed in that area. He directed them to leave the room and monitored them closely for the rest of their time in the home. They left at 12:20 p.m. after about an hour, the affidavit said.
Shortly thereafter, the wife returned home and discovered several pieces of jewelry were missing from the closet. These included multiple gold chains and a diamond pendant, with a total estimated value of $29,000, the affidavit said.
A deputy later contacted the cleaning company and spoke with the office manager. Law enforcement learned that Lockhart and her partner had been assigned to work together, and there had since been four internal complaints about missing items. None had been reported to law enforcement, although such conduct was against company policy, the affidavit said.
Lockhart was ultimately arrested Monday on a warrant charging her with theft ($10,000 to $50,000 from person 65 years of age or older). She was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center with bond set at $20,000. She also had a hold placed on her by Marion County.