House cleaner accused of stealing more than $20,000 worth of jewelry from 3 Glen Ellyn residences: prosecutors

A motion was denied April 9 to detain pre-trial a Hanover Park cleaning woman charged with stealing more than $20,000 worth of jewelry from three clients’ homes, prosecutors said.

Sandy Hernandez, 38, of the 7300 block of Gladiola Avenue, appeared in First Appearance Court charged with three counts of residential burglary. Conditions of Hernandez’s release include no employment that requires her to enter any person’s residence and no contact with the victims in this case, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

On Dec. 2, 2024, a Glen Ellyn resident told police that jewelry, including a Cartier yellow gold ring with a diamond center, a yellow gold charm necklace and other items of jewelry, valued at about $7,900, were stolen from her house sometime after Nov. 19, 2024, according to the release.

On Jan. 5, a second Glen Ellyn resident reported that jewelry, including a 14k gold engagement ring with a diamond, a 14k gold wedding band and more than a dozen additional items of jewelry valued $10,000 were stolen from her house sometime after Dec. 30, 2024, authorities said.

On Jan. 15, a third Glen Ellyn resident told police that jewelry, including a white gold Tanzanite Marquee ring, a gold band ring and other items valued at about $2,500 were stolen from her house sometime after Dec. 6, 2024, according to the report.

An investigation led authorities to Hernandez, who had allegedly stolen the jewelry while cleaning the women’s houses. Hernandez was arrested April 8.

“It is alleged that Ms. Hernandez used her employment as a cleaning woman to gain access to her victims’ homes, and once inside, stole thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “Hiring a cleaning service can be a great help and time-saver, but people must remember that they are allowing unsupervised people in their home. Protect yourself and your belongings by asking questions before allowing people in your home.”

Hernandez’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 5.