Woman arrested in theft of $500K in cash, gold from Lake Elsinore home

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (KABC) -- The hills above Lake Elsinore offer homeowners a million-dollar view of the lake below.

But it's the half-a-million dollars in gold bars, rare coins and cash hidden in one of these homes that is capturing attention now, after it was stolen.

Rverside County sheriff's investigators say Yelena Kellum, 42, of Santa Clarita is behind the heist.

She was an acquaintance of the homeowner. It was after he tried to commit suicide that family members discovered the theft, police say.

"We executed several search warrants at a residence and storage facility and recovered a lot of the stolen property," said Deputy Mike Vasquez with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department

Kellum was arrested Friday at her home in Santa Clarita.

Investigators moved in on her just in nick of time, saying she was attempting to flee the country.

Kellum is facing several charges.With $40,000 in cash still missing, investigators are looking for possible accomplices.