Luxury jewelry worth about $362,000 has vanished from the Lake Minnetonka home of Jon and Arlene Malinski, and investigators say the timeline points to a visit from appliance installers at the couple's Excelsior mansion.
Items Taken and Their Value
Court search warrant affidavits list four high-end pieces that disappeared from the main bedroom area. Investigators say the missing items include a gold Piaget watch estimated at $200,000, a gold Rolex Submariner worth about $30,000, and a white-gold Rolex Submariner valued at roughly $12,000. Also on the list is a Molina black-pearl necklace reportedly worth $120,000. Together, the pieces total around $362,000 in missing jewelry, as reported by the Star Tribune.
How Investigators Say It Happened
The Malinskis told detectives they last saw the jewelry on July 12 and contacted the Carver County Sheriff’s Office on July 19 after realizing it was gone. In between, on July 15, two men came to the house to install a washer and dryer. The couple told investigators they believe the pieces went missing during that visit.
A sheriff’s detective swabbed a cabinet and the center island for DNA and lifted a fingerprint from a clear tote in the room as part of the forensic workup. Cmdr. Brian Sloat said investigators have "entered them into a database for pawnshops and jewelry stores" while they try to track where the pieces might have gone, according to the Star Tribune.
Installers and the Contractor
Working the retail angle, a detective contacted Best Buy and learned the appliance sale had been jobbed out to California-based Pulse Final Mile, according to local reporting. On its website, Pulse Final Mile describes itself as a national final-mile broker that provides white-glove appliance installation services for major retailers. The firm lists an office in Anaheim, California, and notes that many of its installers operate as independent contractor partners.
Investigators say they have collected DNA samples and fingerprints from two men who live in Hennepin County and interviewed them as part of the ongoing probe.
Owners and Local Context
Homeowners Jon and Arlene Malinski are the founders of Piattelli Vineyards, a family wine business with operations in Argentina and a wine resort in Cafayate, according to the winery's website. Family members declined to be interviewed about the case, the local reporting said. The mansion sits in Carver County, where the sheriff’s office is leading the investigation.
Where the Case Stands Now
As of Friday, detectives say the four luxury pieces remain missing, and no arrests have been announced. Investigators are following leads linked to the installation company and continuing to monitor pawn and jewelry databases for any sign of the items.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Carver County Sheriff's Office with tips.
