Stockton Woman's Irreplaceable Jewelry Stolen From Home

STOCKTON (CBS13) — Crooks robbed a woman of a lifetime of memories and thousands of dollars in just minutes.

The family was only gone a short while. Zaria Swaliaha is still picking up the pieces after thieves broke into her Stockton home earlier this week.

"They took the sheets off, everything. my bed was upside down."

Burglars made off with pricey electronics.

But that wouldn't compare to what Zaria noticed next. Her lifetime collection of gold jewelry, worth $25,000 was gone.

"That's when I broke down into tears, because that jewelry meant a lot to me—sentimental value more than anything."

Everything from childhood pieces to her wedding day jewelry set vanished.

"It's 22-carat gold we use. It's a necklace set, with earrings, bangles that they give you. The rings, everything that goes with it."

Zaria suspects a neighborhood teen is involved in the break-in and sold the jewelry for quick cash.

"We let the police know, but they aren't willing to do much. They have so many cases ahead of us, it's piling up."

Others on the block vow to keep an eye out, and plan to organize a neighborhood watch.

"We want a safe area," said neighbor Linda Bustamante. "This is a good area before we didn't have problems before."

The family is installing an alarm system and hopes officers will continue to investigate.