28-02-2025
CT woman accused of stealing over $30K worth of jewelry. She allegedly did it while dog sitting.
A woman faces larceny charges for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from two different people while she was dog sitting at homes in Westbrook.
Shannon L. Crandall, 45, of Old Lyme was arrested Wednesday in connection with two warrants held by the Westbrook Resident State Trooper's Office, according to Connecticut State Police. She faces one count each of first-degree larceny and fourth-degree larceny.
According to the arrest warrant affidavits supporting the charges, police began investigating on Jan. 22 when a Westbrook resident returned home from a vacation and found that 10 Spanish coins were missing from a second-floor room in her home. She then became suspicious and checked her jewelry box, finding that several things were missing.
The woman told police she wanted to speak with Crandall, who had been dog sitting while she and another resident were away, before going any further with the investigation, the arrest warrant affidavits said. The woman told police Crandall denied any involvement.
According to the warrant affidavits, investigators took a statement from the alleged victim who said the missing items included a $15,000 Rolex watch, a 14 karat white gold diamond ring worth $5,900, a Victorian white gold ring worth $500, a Victorian Lavalier pendant and gold chain collectively worth about $2,800 and 10 1749 Spanish coins worth a total of about $7,490.
Police found that Crandall had allegedly sold a Rolex watch and two pendants at a pawn shop in Wethersfield, the warrant affidavits said. An officer had the shop hold the items.
The alleged victim told police she had continued exchanging text messages with Crandall, who allegedly told her she sold her jewelry at a pawn shop in Cromwell, according to the warrant affidavits. Police later found she allegedly sold four pieces of jewelry at the shop and had them hold any items that were believed to be stolen.
Investigators said the alleged victim was able to confirm some of the pawned jewelry belonged to her, including the Rolex watch, the warrant affidavits said.
On Feb. 3, Crandall gave a statement to police at the Westbrook Resident Trooper's Office. She allegedly admitted that while she was dog sitting she stole a 'broken' Rolex watch and two rings, which she allegedly said she sold at pawn shops in Wethersfield and Cromwell, according to the warrant affidavits. When confronted with three pages of items she had pawned, police said Crandall allegedly said all of the items belonged to her or dead relatives, the warrant affidavits said.
Police also investigated a complaint taken from a Westbrook woman on Jan. 29 who said she had hired Crandall to dog sit on Dec. 20. Several days before contacting police, she said she got a call from a friend who alleged that Crandall had stolen jewelry from her, according to the warrant affidavits.
The woman then checked her jewelry box and found that four rings, collectively worth about $1,000, were missing, police wrote. Investigators found two rings that had allegedly been sold by Crandall at a pawn shop in Cromwell, the warrant affidavits said. One of them was recovered and the other had already been sold.
According to the warrant affidavits, the alleged victim was able to confirm the ring that was preserved belonged to her.
When investigators confronted Crandall about the allegations from the second victim she allegedly admitted to taking one ring and pawning it, the warrant affidavits said. She allegedly told police if she had taken four rings from the victim she would have sold all four, police wrote.
Crandall was held on a $45,000 bond following her arrest and was expected to be arraigned Thursday in Middletown Superior Court.
