PALM SPRINGS, Fla. (CBS12) — A Palm Springs housekeeper accused of stealing jewelry from clients’ homes is facing new felony charges in Palm Beach County, one of four court cases now pending against her.
Maria del Carmen Gutierrez Hernandez, 47, is charged with one count of grand theft, eight counts of dealing in stolen property and eight counts of falsely verifying ownership of property to a secondhand dealer.
The latest probable-cause affidavit stems from an investigation involving a client for whom Gutierrez had worked as a housekeeper for about three years, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives began following up on potential victims after Gutierrez was arrested Aug. 11 in a separate jewelry-theft case.
The victim told investigators jewelry and watches had disappeared from his home. He later identified items in pawn-shop photographs as his property, the affidavit states.
Those items included a gold heart pendant valued at about $2,000; a white-gold diamond ring valued at about $3,000; a Joanna necklace valued at about $500; a yellow-gold rope necklace valued at about $5,000; and a Gucci silver ring valued at about $2,000.
The victim also reported a Renato watch valued at about $1,500, a white-gold Gucci wedding band valued at about $3,000, a yellow-gold Chai pendant valued at about $100 and a yellow-gold bunny pendant valued at about $100 stolen from his home, according to the affidavit.
Investigators wrote that pawn-shop records showed Gutierrez sold or pawned items for amounts well below their reported value. La Familia Pawn & Jewelry records showed she pawned David Yurman earrings and a ring for $70 on May 11, 2026, the affidavit states. Detectives said the description was consistent with a ring the victim reported stolen.
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The affidavit says Gutierrez received $30 for the Renato watch at Cash America Pawn in West Palm Beach in January 2025. It says she received $150 and $200 in separate transactions for gold heart pendants, $160 for the Joanna necklace, $400 for the gold rope necklace, $55 for the Gucci silver ring, and $50 each for the Chai and bunny pendants.
After detectives executed a search warrant at Gutierrez’s residence, she was interviewed in Spanish and advised of her Miranda rights, according to the affidavit. Investigators said she admitted taking and pawning multiple items from a client’s home.
Gutierrez also allegedly told detectives she had taken jewelry from about five clients’ homes, pawned the items for money, and sometimes attempted to repurchase and return them. Detectives said pawn paperwork she signed falsely stated that the property belonged to her and was not stolen.
The property positively linked to the victim in this case was valued at about $12,000, according to the affidavit.