Cleaning woman accused of stealing jewelry from client

Frances Carter

A cleaning woman has been accused of stealing more than $10,000 worth of jewelry from a client in Glen Ellyn.

Frances Carter, 44, of the 1300 block of Jonathan Avenue in Rockford, is charged with felony residential burglary. She was released Monday morning on pretrial conditions that include not having any contact with the victims.

A Glen Ellyn woman told police July 20 that a 14K white gold diamond ring and a 14K yellow gold tennis diamond bracelet and other items of jewelry, with an estimated value totaling approximately $11,325, had been stolen from her house sometime after Oct. 11, 2024.

Carter was arrested Monday.

Prosecutors petitioned to have Carter detained. According to the petition, police said she took the jewelry because she is a single mother and was going to sell it to buy food. However, police found the jewelry in her bedroom, including a jewelry box, according to the petition.

The petition stated she also used the names Paulina Rutkowski and Paulina Tallman, and that Carter said she had different surnames due to having been married several times.

“While the benefits of hiring a cleaning service can be advantageous, such as freeing up time to spend with family, pursue a hobby or simply allowing you some extra free time to relax, you must remember that when you hire a cleaning service, you are allowing unsupervised people in your home,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release.

He suggested getting referrals from friends, relatives or neighbors; asking about the amount and type of insurance they carry; and asking how a company checks the backgrounds of its workers.

Berlin also suggested installing security cameras and securing your valuables, at least for the first few cleanings.

It is the second time this year a cleaning worker has been charged with stealing jewelry from clients in Glen Ellyn. In April, a woman was accused of stealing about $20,000 worth of jewelry from three clients.