Mother-daughter duo charged in October jewelry theft - Thehour.com
Erika Santa, 32, of Jamaica, N.Y.
Erika Santa, 32, of Jamaica, N.Y.
Photo: Wilton Police DepartmentYolanda Santa, 56, of Ridgewood, N.Y.
Yolanda Santa, 56, of Ridgewood, N.Y.
Photo: Wilton Police DepartmentWILTON — Wilton police made their second arrest Thursday in an October jewelry theft that saw more than $21,000 of jewelry stolen from a retailer in town.
Erika Santa, 32, was transported to the Wilton Police Department on Thursday, Feb. 22 for her connection to the theft of Campus Jewelers at 5 River Road in Wilton on the afternoon of Oct. 18. She was originally picked up near her home in Jamaica, N.Y., by members of the NYPD and Nassau County Police Department.
In late January, the 32-year-old suspect’s mother — Yolanda Santa, 56, of Ridgewood, N.Y. — was also arrested and charged with first-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny.
The latest arrest leaves only two more suspects — who police identified as another Santa daughter and her boyfriend — left to be charged, though police said it is only a matter of time.
“The other two are facing charges in New York, and we’re waiting for extradition on them,” said police spokesman Lt. Rob Kluk.
Video surveillance from Campus Jewelers showed three women distracting salespeople while the male suspect slipped multiple items into a brown paper shopping bag that he was carrying.
The suspects later purchased an item with cash, and left the store with the stolen loot.
Police said that none of the stolen jewelry has been located yet.
“In cases like these, we typically don’t find the stolen goods. Thieves typically have stolen jewelry melted down very quickly, so that it can’t be traced, and then they sell it off,” Kluk said.
Erika Santa was charged with first-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny. She was held on a $100,000 surety bond, and she was given a court date of March 5.
