Inset: Kayla Conner (Flagler County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The suburban home where Conner allegedly stole several debit cards in Palm Coast, Fla. (Google Maps).
A Florida woman is behind bars after stealing from one of her customers who used her maid services, Sunshine State police say.
Kayla Conner, 38, stands accused of a litany of fraud– and theft-related crimes, including one count each of pocket picking between $300 and less than $10,000 from a person 65 years of age or older, dealing or trafficking stolen property, grand theft from a building, false verification of ownership, and grand theft of property from a dwelling or its curtilage, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The defendant is also accused of a probation violation, jail records show.
“Residents hire cleaning services to help make their homes cleaner, not to have their valuables stolen,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a press release. “Thanks to the quick work of our detectives, this thief is now behind bars where she belongs. We will continue working to return stolen property to the rightful owners.”
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On Aug. 25, law enforcement first learned of the allegations when a man noticed a bracelet that had belonged to his recently deceased wife was missing, according to a charging affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
The widower also said some identification and debit cards issued to his late wife were missing from his residence on Charles Court in Palm Coast, a small city located roughly 60 miles southeast of Jacksonville.
The man then went on to check his still-shared financial accounts and discovered 11 transactions he did not recognize — including four Venmo transactions — totaling well in excess of $650.
The homeowner quickly apprised investigators of his suspicions about the defendant — saying she was a maid with the cleaning company that had cleaned his home three days prior. Conner, he said, was in the master bedroom where all the stolen items were previously located “throughout their cleaning,” according to the affidavit. And, in perhaps telltale fashion, the Venmo transactions were addressed to a user named “Kayla,” the charging document alleges.
On Sept. 23, Conner sat down for an interview in a probation office with a deputy from the sheriff’s office. During the interview, the defendant disclaimed any responsibility for the thefts and suggested her boss — who also took part in the Charles Court address cleaning — was to blame, according to the affidavit.
Authorities say she also provided her cellphone and an access code — while insisting investigators would not find any evidence linking her to any of the disputed transactions on the device.
But Conner allegedly provided the incorrect passcode.
Later that same day, a man identified as Conner’s boyfriend called the deputy to discuss the case, according to the charging document.
“[The boyfriend] said he reamed Kayla out all the way home because he suspected she was responsible for the theft but now he believes her and like Conner, suspects [the defendant’s boss] was responsible,” the affidavit reads. “I let him know that I hoped he was right, but I did not suspect that was the case, in fact the passcode that Kayla provided me was wrong.”
The deputy says the boyfriend then relayed the phone call to Conner. The defendant then called the deputy herself and again provided the same incorrect passcode, according to the charging document.
“I further informed [the boyfriend] that I had multiple subpoenas out with Venmo and Chewy.com that I am waiting to be returned,” the affidavit goes on. “If Chewy delivered product to Kayla or her mom, that wouldn’t be good news for her. [The boyfriend] said Kayla got rid of her Venmo account, and that her mother has a Chewy.com account. I advised that Kayla’s phone would likely show her innocence or guilt, and that I would get back to him as soon as possible concerning her phone.”
On Sept. 25, another customer of the cleaning service left a voicemail reporting suspected thefts – this time of multiple pieces of gold and jewelry, according to the sheriff’s office. And, again, the victim suspected Conner was the person responsible, according to the charging document.
The deputy the used an online search tool to discover the defendant had “multiple recent pawn transactions,” according to the affidavit. Investigators determined Conner had netted $620 from selling several pieces of jewelry in late August.
On Sept. 30, the deputy provided photos of some of the pawned jewelry — taken at the pawn shop — to the widower who initially called about the suspected thefts. The man “quickly recognized his deceased wife’s” missing charm bracelet, according to the charging document.
Conner was arrested later that same day.
The defendant is currently detained in the Flagler County Jail on $5,000 bond. She is slated to be arraigned on Nov. 4.
