Woman Steals From Residents At Edmond Independent Living Center

A reward is being offered for information on a woman who walked into an Edmond Independent Living Center and stole jewelry from more than a dozen elderly residents.

Friday afternoon, residents said they saw the woman walking around the halls, but didn't think anything of it.

“I thought she was a relative or caretaker or somebody who belonged here,” said Jean Marie Mappes.

It wasn't until residents noticed their jewelry was missing that the administrators checked surveillance video and saw what was really going on. The video showed the woman checking doors, peeking inside apartments and even walking right on in.

Jean Marie is one of 16 residents who reported stolen jewelry. She said she is missing three strings of pearls that her late husband gave her.

“They were gifts of my husband and they will always be treasures to me,” she said Wednesday. “They were a part of my background with him and I love him.”

Luckily cameras captured a good picture of the suspect as well as the car she drove off in. The owners of Edmond Mansions are offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to her arrest.

“To have something like this happen is a real violation,” said Edmond Mansions owner Jack Wallace.

He said the woman went into the apartments when residents were at dinner.

“This is home, it's like locking your bedroom when you go out,” he explained. “They felt secure and the result was someone took advantage of it.”

Jean Marie said that sense of security was also stolen from her.

“It was an invasion, it just leaves a bad feeling to know that good people like we are, brothers and sisters who care about each other, should be threatened by a criminal.”

Another resident who was just too upset to talk on camera said her wedding ring from her late husband was also stolen.

Anyone with information on the woman should call Oklahoma City Police.