A brazen theft in Cordova has come to a close with the arrest of a 22-year-old caregiver. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office, in a social media update, reported the recovery of stolen jewelry valued at over $82,000 and announced the apprehension of Corine Mukes, who has been charged in connection with the crime.
Authorities were alerted to the situation on July 8, when a theft was reported from a residence on the 10000 block of Spruce Grove Lane. It was suspected that the series of thefts began around July 4. The Shelby County detectives quickly identify Mukes, an employee of a local in-home care company tasked with caring for the victim's elderly parents. According to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office post, the stolen items consisted of several pieces of valuable jewelry.
Detectives tracked Mukes down after confirming she had pawned a substantial amount of jewelry at Cash America locations. Some of the stolen items and further evidence were recovered during their investigation at these stores. The lead took detectives to Mukes' residence at the 3000 block of N. Watkins in Memphis, where a search warrant revealed even more of the victim's property.
Hidden inside her residence, Mukes was found and arrested without incident on July 9. She faces charges of Theft of Property ($60,000-$250,000) and Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Person. The swift action by law enforcement highlights a case of betrayal and the financial vulnerability that too often plagues the elderly population, who depend on others to properly and respectfully take care of them.
