A 26-year-old Sequim woman is accused of stealing more than $8,000 worth of jewelry from an elderly woman’s home while working as a caregiver.

Prosecutors filed theft and trafficking in stolen property charges against Theresa Hedgecock in Clallam County Superior Court on March 28.

According to court documents, the daughter of the elderly woman reported several items missing from the home March 17. Missing items included gold rings, necklaces, sterling silver silverware and cash, police said.

The daughter provided the names of four caregivers she hired to care for her mother. Sequim police checked to see if any of the caregivers conducted any pawn activity and records showed Hedgecock pawned several items matching the description of the stolen items between Jan. 3 and Feb. 21, police said. None of the other caregivers had any pawn activity.

Officers said the gold-pawning operation sent all but one item to its corporate office after a mandatory 30-day hold.

On March 24 officers went to Hedgecock’s home and placed her under arrest on suspicion of theft.

During the subsequent interview she admitted to taking several rings, necklaces and sterling silver silverware to a gold-buying shop, police said in a probable cause report.

Hedgecock said she took the items because she was the only one working in her household and she needed the money for bills, according to the report.

Hedgecock was taken into custody at the Clallam County jail and released on her own recognizance by Judge Ken Williams on March 26.

She pleaded not guilty at an arraignment March 30 and trial is set for June 18.