A Port Charlotte widow is getting her family jewelry back after detectives say the man helping her clean the house took it. Russell Leroy Higgins, 42, was arrested October 5 on charges of grand theft from a person 65 or older, dealing in stolen property, and violating probation, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman told deputies she had hired Higgins and his girlfriend to help clean her home after her husband’s death. On September 28, she left for a family emergency while Higgins was still at the house. Seven pieces of jewelry worth $3,000 to $4,000 were later missing from her bedroom drawer. Detectives say that during a recorded call, Higgins admitted taking the jewelry and pawning it for about $200. A pawn transaction from that same day listed rings and a gold cross pendant matching her description. Deputies placed a hold on the items and arranged for their return.
The case spotlights a real risk in a county with so many retirees: the people who step in to help after a loss are often trusted implicitly, and that trust can be exploited. Deputies recovered the pieces, but not every case ends that way. Have you talked with an older neighbor or relative about keeping valuables safe when help is in the house?
