BURNSVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) — An 82-year-old widow, who had $20,000′s worth of her jewelry stolen from her Burnsville retirement home, is hoping she can get some of the pieces back — especially her wedding and engagement ring.
Surveillance video from another retirement home led to the arrest of 30-year-old Andrew Page, of Eden Prairie.
But none of Nettie Broyles’ jewelry has been recovered.
The thief got in after stealing the master key from the retirement home’s office. Broyles says she might not have noticed for weeks. But she noticed one of her rings lying on the floor.
She rushed to her jewelry case.
“He took my diamond solitaire engagement ring and a gold band from my wedding, 63 years ago,” she said.
Missing were many of her most cherished pieces given to her by her late husband, Gwin, and her late son, Roger.
“I never ever dreamed anyone would take it,” she said.
It was a break in at a nearby retirement home that lead to Page’s arrest. Page was captured on surveillance video. An investigator recognized Page. He had been arrested by Minnetonka Police for burglary.
He is under house arrest with an electronic monitor. There was no answer at his home.
The answer Broyles wants is to the question: Where is her jewelry?
“He has taken so much from me that I can’t see how he could possibly gain from it,” she said. “If he could please tell me what he did with it so we can recover part of it, at least.”
If convicted, Page could get up to 20 years in prison and $40,000 in fines.
