An Evans house-sitter has been linked to the disappearance of nearly $30,000 in expensive jewelry and guns from her neighbors homes as well as from her parents, Columbia County authorities said.
Shaira Khan, 21, took her neighbor’s diamond necklaces, high school rings, expensive watches and even a pair of snow boots and Vans shoes, according to a sheriff’s report. She is also accused of taking four of her father’s guns, including an AR-15, as well as $3,000 worth of her mother’s jewelry from the family’s safety deposit box.
Authorities described Khan as a house-sitter with access to the neighbors’ homes, who lived near her own residence on Conn Drive in the Sumter Landing subdivision of Evans.
“She had access to all their homes and took advantage of the situation,” sheriff’s Maj. Steve Morris said Friday.
Khan allegedly pawned many of the items, which disappeared from the homes between October and December. Some of the items have been recovered, Maj. Morris said.
Before her arrest, the mysterious disappearance of items was surprising to the victims, who could not find any signs of forced entry or video on their Ring cameras. One victim said she became suspicious of missing items after seeing other residents posting about similar thefts on the neighborhood Facebook page. Another victim told deputies that he believed “an unknown person is entering the residence by unknown means while they are not at home,” according to a report.
The suspect’s father was also puzzled by the disappearing weapons and jewelry, saying “the missing property was unexplainable.”
Investigators did not reveal how they linked Khan to the thefts, but they have a system in place to track pawned items, which may have helped. Among the thefts: a $3,000 diamond necklace, a set of $2,000 pearl earrings, and one specific ring that was valued at $4,155. One victim described her stolen jewelry as “custom-made heirlooms.”
According to her Facebook page, Khan has attended Georgia State University in Atlanta, studying both environmental biology and behavioral psychology. She is a graduate of Greenbrier High School.
The suspect is free on bond after her Jan. 5 arrest on charges of burglary and four counts of theft by taking.
