Stolen Jewelry Recovered from Local Pawn Shop; Accused Thieves Arrested

This article was originally published at 11:30 p.m. Oct. 17 and updated at 10:50 a.m. Oct. 18 to include the jail booking photos of the two suspects.

Two women have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a string of jewelry store burglaries after some of the stolen items were recovered from a pawn shop in Lake Elsinore.

Jacy Averna, 18, and Christina Schneider, 27, both residents of Thousand Palms, were taken into custody Thursday at Pala Casino-Hotel in San Diego County, according to Menifee police Sgt. Glenn Williams.

Menifee police began investigating the case Wednesday when a jewelry store in the 26000 block of Chambers Avenue in Menifee was burglarized.

“The burglary suspects...stole numerous items of jewelry worth thousands of dollars, as well as personal documents belonging to the victim,” Williams stated in a news release.

The investigation led Menifee police to an undisclosed pawn shop in Lake Elsinore, where several pieces of jewelry from the Chambers Avenue burglary were allegedly identified.

Police received further information that Averna and Schneider were staying at a room at Pala Casino-Hotel.

“Several more pieces of jewelry stolen from the Menifee burglary were located in their hotel room, as well as stolen items from burglaries committed in the Thousand Palms area,” Williams said.

Both women were booked into Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property. Their bail was set at $250,000 each, according to Williams, who noted that Schneider had currently been out on bail for her alleged involvement in a separate burglary case.

Police investigators returned the items allegedly taken in the Menifee burglary to the victim.

Anyone with additional information regarding the case was encouraged to contact Investigator Omar Rodriguez, at the Menifee Police Department by calling 951-210-1000, or by email at PerrisStation@RiversideSheriff.org.