Dog walker charged with theft from wealthy clients

A 64-year-old Seattle dog walker is accused of stealing jewelry, furniture, artwork, rugs, purses and clothes from the homes of her wealthy clients and pawning many of the items — including a $55,000 wedding ring and a gold watch she allegedly sold for $1,500.

Mary Winslow Chodl — who is also known as Allison Chodl — was charged Wednesday with first-degree theft, first-degree trafficking in stolen property and second-degree identity theft, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office. Medina police are continuing their search for victims, and Chodl could face additional charges, said office spokesman Dan Donohoe.

A Medina woman called police on Dec. 5 to report the theft of her wedding ring, a gold watch and other pieces of jewelry, Medina Police Chief Jeffrey Chen wrote in a community bulletin that was e-mailed Sunday to residents of the upscale Eastside city. Chodl was described as a friendly woman who had cared for the victim's three dogs for six years, Chen wrote.

According to charging papers, the Medina woman told detectives that two employees, including Chodl, had unfettered access to her home. There were no signs of a break-in, but jewelry worth more than $110,000 was missing. When an officer confronted Chodl about the missing items, she denied taking them and said the victim often misplaced things, the papers say.

According to charging papers, a Medina officer learned that Chodl had pawned a GPS device and a digital camera at a Redmond pawnshop, and when he went to the business he discovered some jewelry belonging to the victim that had been pawned on Nov. 30.

Police obtained a search warrant for Chodl's apartment on Seattle's Capitol Hill. She wasn't home, but officers found stolen property belonging to the first victim and several other people, charging papers say.

Officers returned to Chodl's third-floor apartment on Saturday and arrested her. At the time, Chodl had in her possession two credit cards and a driver's license belonging to another woman, according to charging documents.

The second victim told police Chodl recently housesat for her — and officers discovered that Chodl apparently had used the woman's credit cards to make purchases at a Bellevue jewelry store, a pharmacy and a gas station, the documents say.

"At the time she was arrested, the defendant was clearly packing her belongings in order to move from the area" and had planned to leave on Sunday, the papers say. She is being held in the King County Jail on $50,000 bail.

According to prosecutors, Chodl's criminal history dates to 1978, when she was convicted of grand theft and employee embezzlement in California. She also was convicted of bank robbery there in 1985. Chodl also has served prison time in Alaska and Washington, and her FBI record shows more than a dozen aliases, charging papers say.

Chodl's arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 31. Possible victims or any people with information are asked to call the Medina Police Department at 425-233-6420.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com