A woman who was hired as a caregiver for an 84-year-old Wheat Ridge artist is accused of stealing more than $100,000 in paintings, jewelry and drawings from her home.
Shawn West, 51, has been arrested and booked into the Jefferson County jail in the case, Wheat Ridge police say.
Investigators began looking into the case when the family of the artist reported that more than 600 pieces of Southwestern art had been taken from her home.
“The report indicated that both originals and prints of paintings and charcoal drawings had been stolen as well as jewelry and a sculpture collectively valued at over $100,000,” police said in a news release.
Detectives set up an undercover purchase of some of the art from West and authorities recovered 17 pieces and then an additional 66 items from Westap home in Aurora were seized during the execution of a search warrant, the release said.
West is being held in lieu of $7,500 bail, records show, and is suspected of theft from an at-risk adult.
