Police hunt immigrant carer who disappeared with high value loot

[NewsFeed]

Police want to trace a carer who looked after an elderly woman’s dying husband before disappearing along with the victim’s jewellery.

They are keen to speak to Ma Rowena Laysa Manuel following the theft of jewellery and other valuables worth close to £500,000 from a home in Westminster in April.

Officers say the grieving widow has been left “totally devastated” by her latest loss, with items missing including her engagement ring and a pendant made by her late father.

Maunel, a Filipino woman who also goes by the name Nina, was employed by the family to look after the victim’s terminally ill husband.

Following his death, she was kept on for company and paid for general house work. But on April 15, the victim, in her 60s, returned to her home in St John’s Wood to find Manuel, 46, had left, with jewellery kept in the house also missing.

Among the items taken are a butterfly diamond pendant made by the widow’s late father valued at £250,000; her solitaire diamond engagement ring valued at approximately £50,000 with the GIA serial number 5171051689; and a pair of two carat solitaire diamond earrings.

Also taken was her husband’s large gold and silver coin collection, worth over £200,000. Police believe some of these have been sold in Birmingham, while others have been recovered.

Manuel, who is around 5ft 4ins tall and wears a hearing aid, has links in Suffolk, Brentwood, and is known to frequent, Birmingham, Slough, Reading, Worchester, as well as London areas Kensington and Chelsea , Kilburn, Hendon and Westminster.

DC Nikki Hubbard, of Westminster’s Serious Crime Unit , said: “The victim is totally devastated by the loss. She is still grieving for her husband and the ring was something that felt close to her husband.

“The effect on the victim has been tremendous; she has lost her independence and is in constant fear.”

Anyone who knows of Manuel’s whereabouts, or who has any information that can assist the investigation, is urged to contact Westminster’s Serious Crime Unit on 07909 706 295, or via 101. To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or click on this link .

A 44-year-old woman, arrested in May in connection with the investigation, is currently bailed to return to a police station in November.

read full article at source: http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/...dying-12006683