Stealing from elderly home: Woman held in two-year scheme

A 31-year old woman was arrested in Delden, Twente at the end of July after spending two years making a career out of stealing jewelry from retirement homes in Apeldoorn, Deventer and Raalte. Tonight's episode of Opsporing Verzocht will focus on returning the hoard of jewelry back to their rightful owners. The police report that the "shrewd" woman with "wanderlust" was arrested end July, after she stole jewelry from an elderly woman in a nursing home in Delden. After the authorities discovered loot from between 400 and 500 earlier robberies, the police concluded that this woman had made a successful career of robbing retirement homes. According to De Stentor, the con-woman used various disguises to talk her way into retirement homes, posing as visitor or staff member. She then made victims of elderly women, who she assumed would have the most to steal, distracting them before taking everything they had. Once at home, the woman would pick through her loot and keep the most valuable items. She sold several gold and silver items to a dealer. Police discovered the less valuable jewelry in her home during a raid. The woman struck retirement homes throughout the country. She did it four times in Delden and Almelo, three times in Enschede, and further also in Hengelo, Rijssen, Apeldoorn, Raalte, Deventer, Doetinchem, Eibergen, Groenlo, Varsseveld, Nieuw Amsterdam, Schoonebeek, Coevorden, Emmen, Hoogeveen, Bussum, Zandvoort and Laren. On Friday, there will be an open day at the police headquarters in Apeldoorn, where all the seized jewelry will be on display. Images of some of the jewelry items are already on the police website. Anyone who has lost jewelry, and suspects that this woman may have stolen their belongings is welcome to come to the department between 10 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. The District Attorney will decide on a later date where the jewelry will go. If someone claims to be an owner, then they will have to make a case.