Dog Watcher Gets Prison Sentence for $7400 Rochester Home Theft

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A dog watcher has received a prison sentence after she was convicted of stealing from a Rochester couple who employed her. 

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40-year-old Elizabeth Jean Smith is already serving a five-year prison sentence for a DWI conviction.

The theft happened less than a month before she was incarcerated. 

40-Year-Old Woman Gets Prison Sentence for Stealing from Rochester Couple While Watching Their Dog

One of the victims told Rochester police she came home on July 20 of 2024 and noticed a play station, three cell phones, a pair of gold coins and $5,000 in cash were missing from the home. 

Read More: Dog Watcher Accused of Stealing Valuable Property from Rochester Couple's Home 

Smith admitted to stealing the gaming console when one of the victims asked her about it, the complaint says. 

Items Found During DWI Violation Arrest

Investigators learned seven days after the theft report that Smith was found with the two coins and three phones that belonged to the victims when she was taken into custody in Winona County for violating the terms of sentencing in a 2023 Winona County felony DWI case, according to the court document. 

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The charges say some of the stolen property amounted to a combined value of $7,400. Other items reported stolen have not been appraised, according to the complaint. 

Smith was charged in October of 2024 with a count of felony theft. She pleaded guilty to the charge on Friday and was immediately sentenced to 26 months in prison. 

Smith is being allowed to serve the theft sentence concurrently with the DWI sentence. She’s scheduled to be released from the state prison in Shakopee in February of 2028, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections.