Milwaukee woman upset after thieves steal from deceased grandmother's home

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Michelle Ewald is still in disbelief.

“I’m a fairly trusting person and now I just feel like you can’t really trust people anymore," she said.

She told CBS 58 thieves stole from her grandmother’s home after her death, and said at least one suspect used to help shovel her grandmother's snow in the winter.

“This is someone who helped my grandma out for like four or five years," she added.

In a search warrant, Milwaukee police report the suspect went to several area pawn shops to sell items between Dec. 28 and Dec. 31.

They tracked his movements using a stolen goods database called NEWPRS, and also with help from Robert Haack Jewelry in Greenfield.

“When a customer comes in, we ask them questions of if they own the merchandise," Bret Eulberg, president of Robert Haack Diamonds said. "The customer has to sign it and we actually fingerprint them."

Detectives found the items at pawn shops and showed her the pictures, and the suspect, to tie the case together.

Police named the man in the warrant. CBS 58 is not identifying him because he has not yet been charged, but we found that he is currently booked in the Milwaukee County Jail on “pending charges”.

Ewald said her grandmother trusted this man, and he took advantage of her family.

"The police had told me he was sorry and that he was going through a rough time, and that’s where I get a little angry, I was going through a rough time too, so what makes your time rougher than mine," she said.

Ewald said she has changed the locks on her grandmother's home and plans to install security cameras.

CBS 58 will update this story if, and when, the suspect is charged.