After a fire broke out in their home, Tami Martin and her husband say they interviewed two contractors before hiring one to clean out their air ducts. They thought they did everything right, until Tami noticed some of her most valuable jewelry was missing.
"And it was just devastating. It's something that can't be replaced."
Tami Martin says the theft inside her Clovis home happened on Valentine's Day. That's when a sub-contracting crew showed up to clean out several air ducts. She claims after one of the workers used the restroom where she keeps her jewelry, she realized her 25-year-old wedding ring, a diamond tennis bracelet, as well as her late father's gold band, were all missing.
"When I was washing my hands, I looked over and I noticed that there wasn't a ring here and that my mother's ring had been moved."
Tami confronted the workers, and had them empty their pockets. She followed up by calling Clovis Police. But, after a thorough search, they found nothing, and therefore, no arrests were made. The next day, Tami says she discovered her dad's ring near some rocks in the front yard.
Tami Martin said, "It was an insurance deal that they were here, and I thought I could trust them."
Blair Looney with the Better Business Bureau of Central California says these types of crimes are fairly common.
To protect your property, he suggests:
-locking valuables up
-only deal with licensed contractors
-check references
-and make sure someone is home at all times
Blair Looney said, "You don't want to leave your home unattended either indoors or to where you can watch someone outdoors."
But, for Tami, a two time cancer survivor, the damage is already done. She hopes sharing her story will bring her jewelry back, or at the very least, prevent others from going through a similar experience.
"The lesson for me is I won't be trusting anyone that comes into my home."
The jewelry is worth about $15 thousand dollars. But, Tami says it's more about the sentiment.
If you see those items pictured in the story, contact Clovis Police.
