De Niro nanny charged with theft

De Niro - his nanny has been charged with theft
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Robert De Niro's nanny has been charged with stealing jewellery from the actor and his wife, New York police said today.

Detectives searched the home of his Polish nanny and found a pair of earrings worth $100,000 (£54,700) allegedly belonging to the De Niros.

In total, she is accused of stealing $500,000 worth of jewellery, cash, shoes and clothing from a number of clients, according to police.

Lucyna Turyk-Wawrynowicz, 35, has cared for the children of some of New York's bestknown families.

As well as looking after the De Niros' six-year-old son Elliott - she was also the couple's housekeeper - Turyk-Wawrynowicz has worked for Candice Bergen and the Rothschild family.

Police were called in after De Niro's wife Grace Hightower discovered items missing from their home in New York's upmarket Central Park West.

Some of the missing items may have already been sent back to Poland.

A spokesman for the New York Police Department confirmed: "Grace Hightower called police and reported that some earrings that were very valuable were missing from her home.

"That led to an investigation and eventually Ms Turyk-Wawrynowicz was arrested at 8pm on Monday."

Turyk-Wawrynowicz is charged with numerous counts of theft as well as criminal possession of property.

However, some of the thefts may have taken place several years ago and may now be too old to prosecute-De Niro married Ms Hightower, a former model and air stewardess, in 1997 but their marriage has been tempestuous.

The couple began divorce proceedings two years later amid much acrimony, but despite reports to the contrary, they never formally finalised the split.

When the 61-year-old star of The Godfather, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull was diagnosed with prostate cancer, it appeared to rekindle their relationship.

The couple are said to have recently renewed their wedding vows, with Elliott the ring bearer at the ceremony.

The De Niros referred all calls regarding the alleged thefts back to the New York police department.

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