Woman Charged with Stealing Jewelry from Elderly Upper St. Clair Resident

A Canonsburg Borough woman charged with stealing more than $4,250 worth of jewelry from an elderly Upper St. Clair Township woman had her preliminary hearing on Monday continued for two weeks.

Lauryn E. Mockridge, 26, of East Street, faces seven counts each of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and conspiracy after Upper St. Clair police reported that she sold the stolen jewelry over numerous transactions at a Robinson Township gold exchange from April to August.

The charges were filed on Sept. 13.

According to a police criminal complaint, Mockridge took some of the items from the 81-year-old victim's Long Drive home when her boyfriend was doing yardwork there. The boyfriend is the son of the victim's son's girlfriend.

The victim told police that Mockridge could return the jewelry without any consequence, but Mockridge denied the thefts. However, when questioned by police about the jewelry, Mockridge disputed the amount taken.

She eventually turned over some of the jewelry to her boyfriend's mother but not until after much of it had already been sold, police report.