Babysitter and daughter accused of selling mother's possessions while she was out

Joanie Knight from Bogalusa, Louisiana, came home from work on Tuesday to find that nearly everything in her home of value was missing. Police say the woman’s babysitter Estelle Ard, 64, and the babysitter’s daughter, Cathy Knight, 27, are accused of selling the woman’s possessions on Bogalusa’s WBOX radio swap shop.



“They cleaned out my house,” Joanie Knight said. “Everything that we worked so hard for. They just sold it out.” Appliances, including their refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer and television, were sold. Police said the babysitter took Joanie Knight’s children to a nearby park while Cathy Knight called the radio station and sold the items.





“While the mama, who was the paid babysitter, and the kids were gone, (Cathy Knight) called the swap shop, which is a local radio station,” Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper said. “For the people to be in the house, it's an occupied residence, and just call the swap shop, and make out like it's your stuff, and you need to sell it. It's a new concept. I don't think I've ever seen it here before.” Culpepper said the woman sold the items right out of the house.


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“They sold brand new appliances for like $40 and $50 and people didn't think this was odd. They advertised it on the radio,” Joanie Knight said. “I'm angry. I'm upset. I'm scared. I don't know if she has friends that are going to try and come after me, because I went to the police.” Cathy Knight has been arrested by police, and authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Ard. Authorities are trying to recover the items illegally sold from the home. Anyone with information about the alleged crime are asked to contact police.