Common courtesy may have led to the theft of $47,000 in jewelry in Cobleskill last month.
Thus far, one person who was working on a home, and two accomplices, in the Town of Cobleskill in late September, have been arrested by the State Police in connection with the theft of the jewelry.
Some of the stolen jewelry has been recovered in Rotterdam, but the victim, who is not being identified, said that police have recovered less than 10 percent of what was stolen.
According to the victim, people had been hired to work in her home and the woman asked to use the bathroom.
The homeowner agreed.
"What woman's not gonna let another woman use the bathroom?" she asked.
The victim believes that the worker checked out the home because "they knew what to look for and went right to it."
The victim's husband almost caught them indoors, she added.
The husband called his wife at work and asked her how she broke a window. The workers apparently gained entry through the window.
Luckily, the victim was able to make a list of what was stolen. The break-in, she said, was on a Thursday, and by that Monday, she had lists of what was taken to major pawnbrokers and coin shops in the Capital District.
"It's not just the money, It's the violation. They violated my trust...40 years of memories that I worked for and my husband worked for," the victim stressed.
She hopes to retrieve more, but admitted, "there's little chance of getting it back."
The items were located at a jewelry store in Rotterdam Square Mall, according to State Police Investigator Thomas Cioffi.
Her husband fears that the courts will not vigorously prosecute the case.
"I want to challenge the justice system to get these guys some serious time."
The victim added, "I want to see them go to jail. That's what we want."
So far, the Cobleskill State Police have arrested three people with the ongoing burglary investigation.
Alfred K. Hill Jr., 37, was arrested on charges of two counts of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony. He was arraigned in the Rotterdam Court and sent to Schenectady County Jail in lieu of bail, police said.
Tammy J. Lord, 38, was arrested on charges of second-degree burglary, a felony, according to police. She was arraigned in Cobleskill Town Court and was remanded to the custody of the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office in lieu of bail.
Her husband, Tracy A. Lord, 43, has been arrested on charges of one count of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, police added. He was arraigned in the Town of Worcester Court and sent to Otsego County Jail in lieu of bail.
More charges are anticipated as the investigation continues, police said.
Additional arrests could also be made, according to Investigator Cioffi.
Anyone with information that may help the investigation is asked to contact the Cobleskill State Police at 234-9402.