A Winter Haven woman has been charged with grand theft after allegedly stealing jewelry from an elderly resident. According to the Winter Haven Police Department, the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Kalan Davis, assisted the victim with odd jobs around the house and used the opportunity to pawn the victim's jewelry, which amounted to roughly $10,000 in value, as reported by WFLA.
Davis was reportedly involved with the victim due to her boyfriend's tree-cutting services hired in the aftermath of a hurricane, Davis accompanied her partner to the victim's household, where she was entrusted to perform small tasks during their four visits spanning from October 16 to November 8; during this time, the victim noticed missing items and a strangely misplaced jewelry box, which Davis claimed to have found under the bed—a location already searched by the owner, FOX 13 News reports the incident further unraveled with Davis, under investigation, discovered to have pawned the stolen goods for over $5,500, leading to her arrest on Saturday.
The investigation, which led to the recovery of several pieces of jewelry at pawn shops within unincorporated Winter Haven, Lakeland, and Auburndale, allowed the authorities to attribute the items back to the rightful owner, as the Winter Haven Public Safety Department shared on Facebook. The victim’s recollection of events and quick reporting were pivotal in retrieving the stolen items and arresting Davis, according to Winter Haven Police Chief Vance Monroe.
"I applaud our victim and her keen recall of the occurrences leading up to make this arrest," Monroe said in a statement obtained by WFLA, acknowledging the victim's detailed memory which played a crucial role in the investigation, and he poignantly noted the moral low of preying on the elderly, yet emphasized the cleverness of the victim in this scenario; these statements were echoed in coverage from local news outlets, further cementing the commendable resilience and acuity of those often seen as vulnerable. Davis has been booked into the Polk County Jail on a $25,000 bond and may face additional charges as the investigation continues into the pawn transactions across various jurisdictions.
