Elderly man's note for help in mailbox leads to caregiver's arrest in Lantana

by Al Pefley

LANTANA, Fla. (CBS12) — A Lantana caregiver is facing criminal charges. Police say she tried to strangle an 81 year old man.

Denise Williams, 60, lives with him and is paid to look after him.

The way the man tried to reach out for help from the police is very unusual.

According to the arrest report, Williams was upset with the condition of the bathroom and she and the victim began to argue on Sunday, December 28.

Williams allegedly jumped on top of the man, who was in his bed, and she grabbed his throat with both hands and attempted to strangle him.

"She got on me, on top of me, started grabbing my hand that had the cell phone that I was calling the police, and I couldn't call the police because she grabbed it," he said. "Did you think she was trying to kill you?" we asked him. "No, no. She was just angry," he said. 

Lantana Police say Williams then took away his car keys, his cell phone, disconnected two landline phones he had and locked them in her bedroom and she allegedly stole his credit card and checkbook and she left the house.

The victim was unable to call police because he did not have any of his phones.

He wrote a note which read: "Call the Police" and left it hanging on his mailbox next to his front door.

The next day on Monday, December 29 a letter carrier found the note, discussed what to do with his supervisor, and then they called Lantana Police and Williams was arrested.

"What do you think of the fact that he actually acted on this note, that he saw it and realized somebody needs help?" we asked the victim. "I'm very, very happy for that," he said.

The victim, who asked that we not use his name, says Williams did not write and cash any checks and did not use his credit card to make any purchases as far as he knows. The victim is a Navy veteran, a widower and a retired security guard.

Williams is charged with robbery by sudden snatching, battery on an elderly person, elderly exploitation and tampering with a victim.

He says until she attacked him, Williams had been his live-in caretaker for about two-and-a half years and he paid her $2,000 a month.

She is believed to be in a local hospital and when she's released, she will be transferred to the Palm Beach County Jail.

She has a court date January 29.

"I'm sorry for her. I really am, because she has no place to go right now, other than where she's going after she gets out of the hospital," the victim explained.

The mail carrier, who said his first name is David but would not give his last name, declined comment. 

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Elderly man's note for help in mailbox leads to caregiver's arrest in Lantana 

Nashville caregiver arrested for financially exploiting vulnerable person, TBI says

by Courtney Goins

A Nashville caregiver has been arrested for financially exploiting a vulnerable adult, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

TBI agents and Nashville police arrested 26-year-old Eric Scott, who they say used the bank card and personal information of a person in his care to make fraudulent withdrawals and purchases.

Scott was arrested on Thursday, and he is charged with the following.

• Theft of property over $1,000
• Fraudulent use of a credit card over $1,000
• Identity theft
• Financial exploitation of a vulnerable person over $1,000

Police booked Scott into the Davidson County Jail on a $17,500 bond.

The TBI's Medicaid Fraud Control Division began their investigation back in May.  

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Nashville caregiver arrested for financially exploiting vulnerable person, TBI says 

Report: Pensacola woman didn't move elderly dad from chair for 2 months as he lay in filth

An 84-year-old man was left by his caregiver daughter in a recliner for two months. 

Pamela Reynolds, 54, has been charged with elder neglect and remains in Escambia County Jail on $10,000 bond. 

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Report: Pensacola woman didn't move elderly dad from chair for 2 months as he lay in filth 

Caregiver at Palos Heights memory care facility charged in theft from elderly couple

by Nuha Abdessalam

A gold necklace with a diamond pendant, unauthorized charges to a credit card, pawn shop transactions, and utility bills paid in someone else’s name.

That’s what police uncovered in a July investigation into a theft from an elderly resident of Arden Courts Memory Care in Palos Heights and the resident’s husband.

Palos Heights Deputy Police Chief John Parnitzke said officers were called July 1 to Arden Courts Memory Care, 7880 W. College Dr., when the resident reported the necklace missing.

The victim’s husband soon noticed several charges he hadn’t made – payments to Nicor Gas, Comcast cable, and a local pawn shop.

Detectives reviewed footage provided by the pawn shop, where an employee said the suspect sold the necklace and used the victim’s credit card to pay off a store balance. 

Records from Nicor and Comcast linked the accounts to the same person in the video: Olufunke Toogun, 49, of Chicago Heights.

On Aug. 11, investigators met with Arden Courts management, who confirmed Toogun worked there. She was arrested two days later and charged with aggravated identity theft. 

Toogun has been released pending a court date at the Bridgeview Courthouse.

Parnitzke confirmed the necklace and pendant have been recovered and will be returned to the couple. The credit card charges, he said, will likely be reversed. “Once there’s a report and an arrest made, they don’t hold them to those charges,” he said.

Police said no other complaints involving Toogun were reported by residents or families before or after the arrest. “We haven’t had any second cases,” Parnitzke said.

However, he added that crimes like this aren’t rare in care settings. “These medical facilities, they do background checks, there might not be anything on there, but it just takes these incidents and these arrests to prevent them from continuing in this career.”

For families, Parnitzke recommends practical steps: keep a record and photographs of valuables, limit what’s brought into the facility, and keep an eye on bank and credit card accounts.

“The minute you see activity that doesn’t make sense, question it with your loved one,” he said.

He noted the department also tries to get the word out through community talks, social media, local cable, and city council meetings. 

“Not everyone monitors the same things you and I do, so it’s about getting awareness on different platforms.” 

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Caregiver at Palos Heights memory care facility charged in theft from elderly couple 

Shelby County Caregiver Indicted, Charged with Stealing from Vulnerable Adults

SHELBY COUNTY – A Memphis caregiver has been indicted and arrested, following an investigation by special agents with the TBI Medicaid Fraud Control Division.

In July 2024, following a referral from Adult Protective Services, agents began investigating allegations of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults who were residing at a Shelby County care facility. During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that from November of 2022 to July of 2024, Tareka Lashun Smith (DOB 9/3/1980), a supervisor and caregiver, used the bank cards of 21 victims making unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals worth more than $42,000.

On June 26th, a Shelby County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Smith with Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult. On July 1^st, Smith was booked into the Shelby County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

NOTE: The TBI’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $10,782,912 for federal Fiscal Year 2024-2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $3,594,302 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, is funded by the State of Tennessee. 

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Shelby County Caregiver Indicted, Charged with Stealing from Vulnerable Adults 

Caregiver accused of exploiting elderly client, using stolen funds for luxury purchases

by Grace Bellinghausen

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A Palm Beach County caregiver is accused of stealing over $17,000 from his elderly client with dementia.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO), caregiver Mathieu Gustave knowingly stole money from his client, an elderly man with dementia, between August 2022 and June 2023.

Deputies accuse Gustave of making $17,000 in unauthorized cash withdrawals in total.

Records show that Gustave also used his clients' credit cards on Amazon, with a digital trail revealing dozens of expensive purchases, including smartphones, a blender, sneakers, perfume, and smartwatches.

In addition to the Amazon account, deputies say Gustave also linked his client's card to his Cash App account, sending over $1,800, and his T-Mobile account, using his card for over $600 worth of bills.

When confronted with his Amazon spending, Gustave told deputies, "I don't remember buying those... maybe someone messed up my account."

When asked if he believed everything he did was legal, he replied, "He gave me permission... we were like family... he helped me out."

Due to the psychiatric evaluation, deputies believe the victim lacked the capacity to consent, giving deputies probable cause to book Gustave on counts of exploitation of an elderly person and fraudulent use of identification. 

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Caregiver accused of exploiting elderly client, using stolen funds for luxury purchases 

Cobb County man found dead in home, caregiver arrested

By Denise Dillon

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A Cobb County man was found dead in his home. Now, the woman who was supposed to be taking care of him is in jail.

What we know:

According to an arrest warrant, Earl Douglas suffered from infected bed sores and had lost significant weight in recent months.

The document states his caregiver, 62-year-old Rachel Ward, "failed to provide adequate shelter, keeping him inside a house with no air conditioning and failing to clean his room, his bed, or himself when soiled."

What they're saying:

Neighbors say the two had lived in the same home on Stoneridge Drive in Marietta for several years. They say the caregiver was always very friendly.

"For the longest I thought she was a very good person, did everything, took care of the man," said Bobby Mosher, who lives next door.

Mosher has lived on Stoneridge Drive for 30 years. The house next door had been a rental for most of that time, until Douglas moved back in several years ago.

Mosher said Douglas had a stroke.

"I'd see him wrapped up on the back porch, she'd have him out there wrapped up, getting some sun or something," said Mosher.

He says the last time he saw Douglas was a couple of months ago, when Douglas fell out of his wheelchair in the driveway and Ward needed help getting him up.

"Once she grabbed a hold, he was always 'ow ow ow!' I said, dang, something is wrong. I told her, you better call an ambulance and have this man looked at," said Mosher.

When Mosher saw police cars line the street Wednesday morning, he knew something was terribly wrong.

"They were walking her to the police car in handcuffs, and she said 'Hi Bobby,' and I said 'Hi, is anything wrong?' and that's when the police officers turned to me and came to tell me that Earl passed," said Mosher.

What's next:

Ward has been charged with Neglect of an Elderly Person. She's being held in the Cobb County Jail without bond. At this time, we do not have information on a court date. 

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Cobb County man found dead in home, caregiver arrested 

Caregiver ‘brutally’ attacks woman when she finds him raping her mother, CA cops say

By Daniella Segura

A caregiver was arrested after he was accused of “brutally” attacking a woman who found him raping her mother, California deputies say. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A caregiver was arrested after he was accused of “brutally” attacking a woman who found him raping her mother, California deputies say. Yumi Zingkhai, 23, of Rohnert Park, faces a number of charges, including rape, attempted murder and elder abuse against a dependent adult, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The woman arrived at the home shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, to find a paid “in-home medical caretaker,” Zingkhai, raping her mother, deputies said. The woman’s mother, whose age is not disclosed but is described as “elderly,” cannot care for herself, as she “suffers from memory related issues,” according to deputies. When the daughter “yelled at Zingkhai to stop,” he attacked her, grabbing her by the throat and choking her until she fell unconscious, officials said.

She woke in the kitchen to find Zingkhai holding a knife, “threatening to kill her if she called the police,” deputies said. Zingkhai held the daughter captive for nearly two hours until she convinced him to leave the house and “handle personal matters he mentioned were important to him,” the sheriff’s office said. Once he left, the daughter called 911.

Zingkhai went home and “told his girlfriend he was suicidal,” adding that he needed to return to his employer’s home, authorities said. Zingkhai’s girlfriend went with him as he drove back to the home, deputies said. While they were in the car, the girlfriend tried to call 911, as she was worried “about his suicidal statements,” deputies said.

“Zingkhai took her phone” and hit her multiple times, authorities said. Zingkhai arrived at the home to find deputies and detectives there and pushed his girlfriend from the moving car, according to the sheriff’s office. Officers apprehended Zingkhai as he tried to flee, deputies said.

His girlfriend was not hurt, according to authorities. He is being held without bail, deputies said. Marin County is about a 40-mile drive northwest from San Francisco.

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Caregiver ‘brutally’ attacks woman when she finds him raping her mother, CA cops say

I-TEAM: Caregiver arrested after man with special needs found wandering the street

A mother from Metairie is furious after she says her adult son, who has special needs, was abandoned by those she trusted to take care of him. 

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I-TEAM: Caregiver arrested after man with special needs found wandering the street

I-TEAM: Caregiver arrested after man with special needs found wandering the street - 2

Pictures obtained by the WAFB I-TEAM speak for themselves, showing the conditions inside an apartment where a woman’s special needs son was allegedly neglected. 

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I-TEAM: Caregiver arrested after man with special needs found wandering the street - 2

Caregiver charged after throwing boiling water on client, police say

Tina Vaughn(SCSO)

By Rose Johnson

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A caregiver was arrested for throwing boiling water on her client, according to Memphis Police Department.

Tina Vaughn, 42, is charged with aggravated assault of a vulnerable adult and simple assault.

On Jan. 24, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. officers responded to a complaint call at the Regional One Burn Center on 877 Jefferson Avenue.

A victim was at the hospital getting treated for 2nd and 3rd-degree burns to the right side of his face, shoulder, and right side of his back. 

Officers were told that on Jan. 21 at 10:30 p.m. the victim was in a residence on Gookin Place and his caregiver, Vaughn, was also inside the home.

The victim was in the kitchen boiling water to cook some noodles. Vaughn was upset at him and told the victim to go to the living room.

The victim then went to sit on the couch when Vaughn came in from the kitchen and threw the boiling water on him, according to the affidavit.

He then yelled and ran out of the apartment.

Vaughn did not call the police or emergency services, instead, she called her supervisor.

The victim returned to the apartment later that night, and the next morning, when Vaughn arrived at work, she called an ambulance which took the victim to the Regional One Burn Center.

The victim identified Vaughn in a six-person lineup as the person who threw the hot water on him. 

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Caregiver charged after throwing boiling water on client, police say

Caregiver stole $150K from woman, 95, court says

A Massachusetts woman was in court Thursday, accused of defrauding a 95-year-old woman of about $150,000 while working for her as a personal care assistant.

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Caregiver stole $150K from woman, 95, court says

Madison caregiver arrested after hitting client at East Towne Mall

by Kyle Jones 

MADISON, Wis. -- Madison police arrested a man Tuesday night who they said hit an elderly person who was in his care.

Officers were called to East Towne Mall just before 7 p.m. after a group of strangers reported seeing a caregiver hit an elderly client.

After speaking with the witnesses, officers arrested a 52-year-old Madison man. He faces charges of physical abuse of an elder person.

News 3 Now is not naming the man at this time as part of a policy not to name people accused of crimes until they have been formally charged in court.

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Madison caregiver arrested after hitting client at East Towne Mall

Kinston caregiver arrested for sexual crime against handicapped adult

by Erica Paige

Kinston caregiver is behind bars for sexual misconduct towards a disabled man in his care.

On Nov. 13 the Kinston Police Department Criminal Investigations Division began investigating a report of sexual misconduct between Landrine and a male handicapped adult.

Authorities obtained warrants for his arrest.

John Landrine, 65, of Kinston was arrested on Monday, Dec. 4 by police and charged with the following:

• Second degree forcible sexual offense
• Crimes against nature

Landrine is currently being held at the Lenoir County Detention Center under a secured bond.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Kinston Police Department’s Tips Line at 252-939-4020, Lenoir County Crime Stoppers at 252-523-4444, or through the Tip411 App that is available on both Apple and Android devices. Calls to Crime Stoppers are confidential and anonymous, and the caller may be eligible for a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.

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Kinston caregiver arrested for sexual crime against handicapped adult

Cleveland caregiver charged with stealing money from elderly patient

by Courtney Goins

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF) — A caregiver in Cleveland has been arrested and charged with stealing money from an elderly man who she provided care to.

The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office said they arrested 44-year-old Holly Williams on Wednesday.

The victim is an 82-year-old man who said he woke up on Tuesday missing $1,250. He said the cash was missing from various areas in his house in southeast Bradley County. The man said some prescription medicine was missing as well.

The sheriff’s office said Williams was seen entering the victim’s house without authorization between 1 and 2 a.m. on December 5, while he was asleep.

Authorities are charging her with aggravated burglary, theft over $1,000 and financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable person.

Deputies booked Williams into the Bradley County Jail. They are holding her without bond while they wait on her arraignment.

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Cleveland caregiver charged with stealing money from elderly patient

Caregiver arrested for DWI; accused of neglecting elderly patient, using her car

A caregiver is behind bars after an elderly woman was found at home alone sitting in her own excrement while allegedly in her care. 

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Caregiver arrested for DWI; accused of neglecting elderly patient, using her car

Caregiver Arrested For Forging Checks In Elderly Woman’s Name

Brittany Kozubik

By Brianna Pitts

CULVER — A Marshall County caregiver was recently arrested for allegedly stealing money from the woman she was caring for.

Brittany Kozubik, 38, Monterey, is charged with eight counts of forgery, all level 6 felonies; and exploitation of a dependent, a class A misdemeanor.

On Sept. 27, 2022, a woman contacted Marshall County Central Dispatch to report allegations regarding her mother’s caregiver, identified as Kozubik, forging checks and stealing money from her. The woman said she had documentation of this occurring.

The woman gave Kozubik a budget of what to spend on her mother’s expenditures and she was allowed to use a debit card from the Fifth Third Bank only. When visiting her mother in Culver, the woman came across a check written out to Kozubik from a checking account from First Farmers Bank, an account she was not supposed to have access to, containing a forged signature with her mother’s name.

The woman said she noticed these checks being suspicious because only maintenance costs for the house were to be paid out using checks and there were several checks made out to “Brittany” since 2019, when she was initially hired.

Kozubik was booked in the Marshall County Jail on June 29, 2023.

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Caregiver Arrested For Forging Checks In Elderly Woman’s Name

Caregiver arrested on elderly abuse charges

An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Medicaid Fraud Control Division, along with other agencies, has resulted in the arrest of a Shelbyville man, charged with the abuse and neglect of elderly patients.

In January, at the referral of Adult Protective Services, agents joined that agency and the Department of Health, in investigating a complaint that residents at an assisted living facility in Bedford County were being abused and/ or neglected. During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that identified Cody Prestwood, a licensed practical nurse at the facility, as the individual responsible for the abuse and neglect of the residents. The investigation also revealed that from December 2021 through August 2022, Prestwood failed on multiple occasions to document those incidents and failed to seek proper treatment for the individuals involved.

On November 9th, Cody Andrew Prestwood (DOB 09/17/1988) was arrested by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with two counts of Aggravated Abuse of an Elderly Adult, two counts of Neglect of an Elderly Adult, and one count of Abuse of an Elderly Adult. Prestwood was booked into the Bedford County Jail, on a $250,000 bond.

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Caregiver arrested on elderly abuse charges

West Memphis caregiver arrested, charged with elder abuse after allegedly assaulting a patient

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Catherine Daniels assaulted a patient inside their home in May.

Credit: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Author: Jackson Brown

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — A woman from West Memphis, Arkansas, has been arrested and charged following an investigation into the abuse of a vulnerable adult.

On June 3, TBI began its investigation into Catherine Daniels after receiving information of alleged abuse. 

During the investigation, agents determined, while working as an in-home caregiver on May 30, Daniels assaulted a patient at a house in the 2200 block of Meadow Glade Lane.

On October 13th, the Shelby County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Daniels with abuse of a vulnerable adult and neglect of a vulnerable adult. 

Daniels was taken into custody Tuesday by TBI and booked into the Shelby County Jail. Her bond is set at $10,000. 

Daniels is no longer employed as a caregiver. This remains an active and ongoing investigation, TBI said. 

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West Memphis caregiver arrested, charged with elder abuse after allegedly assaulting a patient

Caregiver arrested for elderly abuse at Gainesville senior facility

By Alexus Goings 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -Gainesville police arrested 24-year-old Daja Rutledge for elder abuse at Charter Senior Living on Southwest 62nd Boulevard on Monday.

Police say the victims were a 80-year-woman and a 82-year-old woman under the care of Rutledge.

One witness told police they saw Rutledge covering the nose and mouth of the 80-year-old resident with her hand after they heard the victim screaming.
 Rutledge told the witness that the elderly woman was yelling too loud.


Another witness said they walked in on Rutledge pinning the non verbal 82-year-old woman’s against a wall. According to the witness, Rutledge was upset the victim didn’t want to go to bed.

Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, who is a resident in the area says she knew a resident of charter senior living and is disturbed by the allegations of abuse.


I had a neighbor who was in this place and I thought it was a good place,” said Simmons. “And I was very happy that he was there close to where his wife could just walk over and have meals with him. So, I’m terribly upset to hear this.

Rutledge denied physically harming the victims. 

The Charter Senior Living facility supervisor says the investigation is still pending and has no comment on the matter.

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Caregiver arrested for elderly abuse at Gainesville senior facility