A Lakeland cleaning business owner is sitting in jail after deputies say she cleaned out more than just dust. Investigators allege 31-year-old Ashley Hernandez raided clients’ jewelry boxes, then moved thousands of dollars in gold and diamonds through local pawnbrokers. The case broke open when a 67-year-old client realized several pricey pieces were missing from her master bedroom. Some of the jewelry has turned up, authorities say, but other items were already sold off or melted down.
Deputies first went to the victim’s home on Feb. 13, 2026, and, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, she told detectives she had hired Hernandez for three cleanings starting in December 2025, often leaving her alone with full run of the house. Reported missing were an 8-inch diamond bracelet, a pendant, an 18-carat gold men’s Medusa ring, a 7-inch 18-carat ID bracelet, and a pair of 18-carat gold panther earrings. Investigators pegged the total loss at about $12,180. Hernandez was arrested on Feb. 18, and detectives say they were able to recover several of the stolen items.
Local coverage by the Tampa Free Press reports that detectives tracked multiple pieces to a pawnbroker and confirmed Hernandez completed a dozen pawn transactions after followers on social media flagged similar complaints. The outlet also noted a second victim in Brandon who told investigators about $350 worth of items had vanished; that case is being handled by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. According to the reporting, some of the jewelry was gone for good because it had already been sold or melted down.
How Detectives Followed the Pawn Trail
Detectives say several of the recovered items turned up at a shop identified in the investigation as Quick Cash Liquidators. The store’s own website lists a Lakeland location and contact details that helped detectives follow the paper trail: Quick Cash Liquidators. Investigators say pawn receipts and a string of transactions ultimately connected the jewelry sales back to Hernandez.
Felony Raps and What Comes Next
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Hernandez faces multiple second-degree felony charges, including dealing in stolen property, providing false information to a pawnbroker, and theft from a person 65 or older. Investigators said they tacked on additional counts after confirming that items pawned in Polk County matched jewelry reported missing in the Brandon case. Prosecutors in the 10th Judicial Circuit will now review the file and decide on formal charges and upcoming court dates.
Sheriff Grady Judd urged homeowners to document their valuables and speak up quickly if something seems off, a warning highlighted in reporting by the Tampa Free Press, which quoted him: "When you invite someone into your home to work, you're placing a great deal of trust in them." Anyone who thinks they may have hired Hernandez or recognizes jewelry that wound up in a pawn shop is asked to contact Polk County detectives or, for losses in Brandon, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
