MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Two people were arrested Thursday afternoon after Manatee County deputies say they stole jewelry while pretending to be pest control workers.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Sean Frank and Laura Frank claimed they were at a woman's apartment to provide pest control as a service scheduled by the condo association.
After the duo left the residence, the woman noticed several rings missing — a total value of more than $3,000, deputies explain. After reporting this theft to the main office, workers reportedly told the woman no pest control service was called.
911 was called shortly after and multiple units responded to the area.
After a couple of minutes, deputies say they stopped a woman on the second floor and a man in the parking lot who were positively identified by the resident who lost her rings.
A search of the area was conducted and deputies reportedly found a pump sprayer along with several pieces of jewelry in a trash can in a laundry room.
Some of the jewelry found in the trash can belonged to the woman living in the condo community, the sheriff's office reports. The agency went on to explain the duo did enter other units, but none of the residents reported having anything stolen.
Just a day earlier, two people fitting the same description as Sean and Laura Frank used a pest control scam to get inside several condos off of Bayshore Drive in Bradenton, deputies say. After they left, one resident reported two wedding rings missing from a jewelry box.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
"Never allow anyone into your home to provide services that you have not previously scheduled with a reputable company," the sheriff's office wrote in a news release. "When in doubt, contact law enforcement."