Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A home health aide employed to care for a vulnerable mother and daughter in East Setauket was arrested by Suffolk County Police on Friday, June 19, 2026, after allegedly stealing nearly $10,000 worth of jewelry from the family’s residence over the course of approximately one month, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
The accused, Jackquilin Smith, was a home health aide working through Homewatch CareGivers, a home care agency based in Hicksville, New York. Smith was assigned to provide in-home care at a private residence in East Setauket, where she was responsible for assisting an 80-year-old woman and the woman’s 58-year-old daughter. The daughter, according to Suffolk County Police, suffers from a degenerative neurological disorder — a condition that by its nature places her in a category of heightened vulnerability, dependent on caregivers for her daily needs and safety.
Police say Smith stole jewelry valued at approximately $9,850 from the residence during a period stretching from late April 2026 through late May 2026 — a timeframe of roughly four to five weeks during which she was a trusted presence in the home. The family reportedly contacted Suffolk County Police when they discovered the jewelry was missing. Precisely how the family connected the thefts to Smith, and what investigative steps police took to build the case, have not been fully detailed in the official press release. Those details remain limited pending further disclosure by authorities.
The case is notable not only for the financial harm caused, but for the breach of trust at its center. Home health aides occupy one of the most intimate positions of professional trust — they are given access to private residences, often caring for people who cannot fully protect themselves. In this instance, the 58-year-old daughter’s degenerative neurological disorder would, by nature of such conditions, likely impair her ability to monitor her surroundings or immediately detect a theft, making her especially susceptible. Police have not yet confirmed whether additional victims or incidents are connected to Smith’s employment history with Homewatch CareGivers or elsewhere.
Smith’s exact arrest time and the specific circumstances of the arrest — including whether she was taken into custody at her Hicksville home, at the East Setauket residence, or at another location — have not been confirmed in the official release. The arrest was formally announced by the Suffolk County Police Department on June 19, 2026.
Location & Road Context
East Setauket is a hamlet located within the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, situated along the North Shore of Long Island. The community is largely residential in character, with a mix of family homes, waterfront properties, and proximity to Stony Brook University and the associated medical community. It is not a high-traffic commercial corridor, and incidents of this nature — crimes occurring within private residences — are distinct from the roadway incidents typically tracked in Suffolk County’s incident database.
Suffolk County is one of Long Island’s most active counties for reported incidents of all kinds; our local database currently contains 469 recorded accidents in Suffolk County alone. While this case is not a traffic matter, it reflects the broader landscape of public safety concerns that residents across Suffolk’s hamlets and townships navigate daily.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
As of the announcement date, Jackquilin Smith had been arrested and charged in connection with the theft of approximately $9,850 in jewelry from the East Setauket residence. The specific charges filed against Smith — including the exact penal law counts, whether she faces grand larceny or a related charge, and what degree those charges carry — have not been fully enumerated in the publicly available press release from the Suffolk County Police Department. Police have not yet confirmed arraignment details, bail status, or whether Smith has retained legal counsel.
Under New York Penal Law, the theft of property valued above $3,000 typically constitutes Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a Class D felony), while theft exceeding $50,000 elevates the charge further. Given the alleged value of approximately $9,850, Smith could potentially face felony-level charges — though the exact counts filed by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office have not yet been publicly confirmed. Readers seeking updates on court proceedings should monitor official announcements from the Suffolk County Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
Broader Impact
Cases involving theft by a caregiver carry particular weight under New York law because the victims are often elderly or disabled — populations the state legislature has specifically sought to protect. New York Penal Law §260.32 addresses endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, and separate statutes can enhance penalties when a defendant exploits a position of trust to victimize someone with a physical or mental impairment. Whether additional charges reflecting the victims’ vulnerability will be pursued in this case has not yet been confirmed by prosecutors, but it is a dimension of the legal landscape directly relevant to a situation in which a caregiver allegedly stole from a woman with a degenerative neurological disorder under her professional care.