A Knoxville woman stands accused by the Clinton Police Department of stealing jewelry from patients at a nursing home.
Gladys Budrow, 26, turned herself into the Clinton Police Department
Wednesday afternoon after authorities accused her of the crime.
Budrow had been hired by an Anderson County family to take care of a
family member at Morning Pointe Assisted Living Center in Clinton. According to
police, Budrow stole from that family member and another patient while
the family was paying her in June.
The Clinton Police Department said the two patients involved in the
case were 73 and 87. It said Budrow had stolen two sets of gold hoop
earrings, a gold herring necklace, and a diamond ring that were
altogether worth $4,500.
"They [the patients] can't fight back," said Clinton Police Det. Sgt.
Carl Bailey. "I mean, she physically took the ring off the one lady's
finger and she couldn't stop her."
According to the police report, Budrow even told one patient, "You don't need this [ring] anymore, I'm going to give it to my mother."
Bailey said Budrow is currently being held on a $125,000 bond under robbery and theft charges.
The department made Budrow a suspect after one victim identified
through her a picture. Bailey said his department also gathered
evidence against her on a website named LeadsOnline.com.
The site is an online database that all gold buyers must provide
information as to who they are doing business with. According to
Bailey, on LeadsOnline, the department found that Bailey had sold the
jewelry to two north Knoxville gold and jewelry buyers. One store was
Fountain City Jewelers in Fountain City. The other store was Southeast
Goldbuyers North in Halls.
Fountain City Jewelers gave the jewelry back to the Clinton Police Department.
"They contacted me directly to try and retrieve the piece of jewelry," said Fountain City Jewelry store owner Mark Enix.
According to Bailey, Southeast Goldbuyers North has yet to return any jewelry.