A house cleaner faces theft charges in at least two cases while Cape Coral Police seek potential additional victims.
Donald Claybaugh, 59, of Cape Coral, faces two counts of grand theft and six counts of dealing in stolen property.
On March 30, officers responded to a report of a past theft at a home in Southwest Cape Coral.
According to police, the first person who came forward reported several pieces of jewelry missing, including vintage gold diamond rings.
That first victim told authorities Claybaugh was her house cleaner, having accessed and cleaned her home monthly. At the time of the initial report, the woman did not wish to pursue charges, police said.
During the investigation, police said she found several pieces of the stolen jewelry at a local pawn shop and repurchased the items, choosing to move forward with charges.
Detectives found several transactions linked to Claybaugh between 2025 and 2026 at the pawn shop.
Officers first arrested Calybaugh on May 14, but his freedom would last less than a week until he was back behind bars.
Cape Coral Police announced May 21 that their Property Crimes Unit identified an additional person connected to Claybaugh. Officers rearrested him.
That day, officers responded to a second report of a past theft in Southeast Cape Coral.
The second person reported that between May 2024 and February 2025, Claybaugh, who had been hired to clean the home, stole cash from a bedroom. That person later confirmed the theft after marking currency and confronting Claybaugh.
Claybaugh remained in custody Thursday afternoon on $42,500 bond. His arraignment is June 22.
Authorities urge those who believes they may have been victimized by Claybaugh to call the police and file a report at 239-574-3223.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@usatodayco.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Two victims accuse Cape Coral house cleaner of theft, dealing jewelry
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
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