Caregiver Accused of Swiping Priceless Art From Dearborn Home

Relatives of a deceased Dearborn resident say the woman's caregiver stole priceless artwork from her home, according to Dearborn police reports.

The woman had been taking care of a resident on the 3300 block of Eastham for five years when the resident passed away. The caregiver was let go by the woman's niece and asked to come back and leave her key. She was specifically instructed not to remove or touch anything.

The niece of the deceased resident arrived in Dearborn from Illinois on Feb. 3 and found that 30 envelopes with "dozens of prints" of first-edition pieces of valuable artwork had been taken, along with the resident's jewelry.

The niece and her husband were unable to contact the caregiver, at which point they called police to the house on Monday, Feb. 4.

Neighbors told police that they had witnessed the caregiver, along with two other people, come to the house late on Jan. 26 in a pickup truck and carry several loads of items from the house into the truck. When the trio went back in for more items, the neighbor called police. Police smoke with the people, who said that they were hired to clean the house.

Officers called the caregiver again on Monday, at which point she admitted to taking a skillet, bible, and "some photos" from the house. The woman hung up on the officer, and was not immediately apprehended, according to police reports.

For questions on this crime report, email dearborn@patch.com.