Pawned Jewelry Stolen From Woman's Relative, Cops Say

Two Hopatcong residents were charged with theft after police said one of them stole $6,700 worth of jewelry from a relative, giving it to the other to be pawned in Byram.

Mary Hess, 21, and Marc Santucci, 22, were both sent to the Sussex County jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. Santucci was also charged with possession of marijuana as Lt. Thomas Kmetz of the Hopatcong Police Department said he had a bag of marijuana in his pocket when he was arrested on Thursday at his home.

Kmetz said a pawn shop in Byram had called Hopatcong police on Jan. 10 after suspecting that a ring Santucci allegedly brought to the shop was stolen. Officers advised the shop to hold on to the ring so that they could investigate any reports of missing jewelry.

When officers questioned Santucci about where he got the ring, Kmetz said, he told police that he had received it from Hess. 

On Thursday, police were called to a Lackawanna Drive home where a resident reported earrings, charms, a necklace, wedding band and engagement ring, valued at a total of $6,700, missing.

Kmetz said Hess and the resident are relatives and Hess was living at the Lackawanna Drive home. When shown the ring that was being held at the pawn shop, Kmetz said the resident identified it as theirs. Hess had stolen the ring and given it to Santucci to be pawned, Kmetz said.

For questions on this report, email ariana.cohn-sheehan@patch.com