A housekeeper at a New Jersey senior living home and her husband were arrested and charged for allegedly stealing $45,000 worth of jewelry from residents of the facility, authorities announced Thursday.
Ana Rios, 40, and her husband Ezequiel Rios, 43, were arrested earlier this month in Piscataway, N.J.
They’re accused of working together to steal pieces of jewelry from residents of a senior living facility in Bridgewater and then sell it for cash, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said in a news release
According to McDonald, detectives assigned to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Burglary Unit began investigating reports of jewelry being sold across Somerset County.
With assistance from the Bridgewater Township Police Department, investigators determined that two pieces had been stolen from residents of the facility in August of 2023 and February 2024.
Further investigation revealed other victims living at the same facility also had items stolen but hadn’t reported the thefts to police.
Ana Rios, who worked at the home as a housekeeper, is accused of stealing the items and handing them over to her husband, who would then sell them for cash, McDonald said.
“It is estimated that jewelry stolen by defendant Ana Rios then sold by Rios or her husband, defendant Ezequiel Rios, held a street value estimated at $45,000,” prosecutors said.
The two were arrested without incident on April 8. Ana Rios is charged with third-degree theft and conspiracy to commit theft, while her husband faces charges of third-degree receiving stolen property and conspiracy to commit theft.
They were both released pending a court hearing.
