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'Still in the state of paranoia' | Gold necklace worth thousands stolen right off Pearland grandmother's neck, family says

Preethi said her mother-in-law's mangalsutra was stolen right off her neck as she hugged someone.

PEARLAND, Texas — A Pearland grandmother is shaken up after she says a traditional gold necklace was stolen right off her neck.

This comes after a KHOU 11 exclusive on a string of similar thefts in Fort Bend County.

"Something has been taken away from them and that's close to their heart," said Preethi, daughter-in-law of the victim.

The mangalsutra is a gold necklace that a groom places on his bride's neck in Hindu weddings.

"She has been wearing it for the past 40 years," Preethi said.

Preethi said her mother-in-law's necklace was stolen right off her neck as she hugged someone.

"In that fraction of second that she hugged, she slipped off her mangalsutra," she said.

It happened on Oct. 24 as Preethi's in-laws were taking a morning walk to a nearby park in Pearland. She said they were waved down by people in a car who stopped traffic claiming to know them and got close to their window.

"She suddenly said, like, 'Auntie, can you please bless me? my mom is undergoing surgery and we need your blessings,'" Preethi said.

Preethi said her mother-in-law assumed it was one of her and her husband's friends. But after the hug when she returned home, she noticed her necklaces were missing.

South Asian families in Fort Bend County were targeted in similar thefts. Those interactions were caught on a neighbor's surveillance video.

For Preethi's mother-in-law, being victimized is something she can't shake off.

"She's still in the state of paranoia," Preethi said.

The family wants to share their story to warn those who may not know this is happening.

"They are targeting folks who are about 60s and 70s who are vulnerable to like, you know, believing stories," Preethi said.

The theft was reported to the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office but they said without surveillance video or other key evidence, it's not clear what investigators will be able to uncover.

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