Teen Stole Mom's Jewelry to Show Off Cash to Friends

The mother of a 16-year-old Grosse Pointe Park boy reported theft of more than $4,000 worth of jewelry from their Jefferson Road home.

recently submitted the case to Wayne County Juvenile Court for review after detectives discovered the teen had been slowly stealing the jewelry and pawning it, said Detective Lt. James Smith. 

The boy's motive was to impress his friends by having money, Smith said. 

Detectives were able to recover about 25 percent of the jewelry that was stolen, or $1,050 worth of the $4,200 in jewelry stolen, Smith said. 

The mother did not notice the theft at first, Smith said, explaining that the teen took it a few pieces at a time. Enough was finally missing that it caught her attention within the last month, Smith said.

The teen had been pawning each piece at a pawn shop in Detroit, Smith said.

Police located the teen April 26, when they questioned him and filed the paperwork with the Wayne County Juvenile Court, according to a report.