OPD says the victim's death was determined to be related to neglect by her caretaker.
Updated: 6:29 PM CDT Aug 18, 2025
OMAHA, Neb. —
Omaha police arrested a caretaker in the death of a 67-year-old woman Monday.
OPD
said Kathy Snider's death was reported on Feb. 12, 2025. The department
said police investigators and the Douglas County Attorney's Office
determined her death was related to neglect by her caretaker,
53-year-old Nicky Budlong.
Officers booked Budlong into the Douglas County Jail on
manslaughter, abuse of a vulnerable adult and three counts of theft by
unlawful taking.
July
1, 2023; a niece of the victim called Broken Arrow Police to say her
aunt with Alzheimer's had been put into a home by Carlson. Carlson had
gotten guardianship and was accused of mis-using the victim's money.
The niece got an attorney and got guardianship back and showed officers the accounts.
Police
say Carlson closed out several of the victim's CD's worth a total of
$130,000 and deposited the money into Carlson's personal account and
spent the money on trips, cash and casinos.
Police
say Carlson used the victim's money to write checks to herself and
others and made several ATM withdrawals from a casino from the victim's
account.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – The caretaker of a Vero Beach woman went on
what police said was a two-week shopping spree with the woman's credit
card, leading to the caretaker's arrest on charges of theft, fraud and
exploitation of the elderly.
According to Vero Beach police
records, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 15, Jennifer Hickling, 47, of Vero Beach,
is accused of making 28 purchases at retail and grocery stores including
Publix, Sam’s Club, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Amazon, an antique mall and a
boutique dessert shop with the credit card of the 87-year-old for whom
she’d worked about a year as caretaker.
Police identified Hickling
from video surveillance taken during an alleged $120 purchase at a
Walgreens on Feb. 15 at 11 p.m. and used credit purchase history to
track the transactions, according to records.
Vero Beach Police Department
Charges totaled $3,127, according to the police warrant for Hickling's arrest.
Hickling
was charged with exploitation of an elderly person of less than
$10,000, scheme to defraud or organized fraud under $20,000, grand theft
and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Detective Greg Matakaetis
said the next step in the investigation is looking for other potential
victims. He said Hickling refused to talk with police without a lawyer
present.
“I don’t know how many other people employed her,” said Matakaetis.
He said he was looking into whether Hickling worked independently or through a healthcare service.
“It’s a continuing investigation,” he said.
State
medical licensing records show her registered nursing license was
suspended in 2018, while under the name Jennifer Michelle Curry, due to
an investigation into charges of prescription painkiller possession and
controlled substance theft.
The charges were ultimately dismissed
in 2019 by the state after court records show Curry, now Hickling,
completed a year of court-ordered rehabilitation.
(KRON)
— A caretaker was arrested for identity thefts of multiple elderly
people including residents at the facility where she was employed,
according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.
A representative for an 82-year-old Santa Rosa care facility resident
noticed multiple unauthorized online transactions of over $15,000 on
the elderly man’s account in Nov. 2023. According to police, it would be
impossible for the man to make the purchases due to his physical state.
The representative and the victim were unaware of who conducted the
purchases, police said.
SRPD Property Crimes Investigations Team detectives served
investigative search warrants to credit card companies, commercial
businesses, online and electronic service providers, and online
marketplaces. Detectives determined the suspect was responsible for over
$19,000 in unauthorized credit card charges using the victim’s
accounts. Detectives identified 32-year-old Santa Rosa resident Imelda
Ruby Reyes-Medina from shipping and contact information linked to
multiple transactions. Reyes-Medina was not a caretaker at the
facility.
Detectives executed search warrants for the two residences associated with Reyes-Medina in March.
2700 block of Mohawk Street
1000 block of Bellevue Road
Officers located items Reyes-Medina purchased using the victim’s
credit cards, including high-end electronics, baby accessories, jewelry,
furniture, and other household items.
In the search of Reyes-Medina’s property, detectives located personal
identifying information and credit cards for two individuals not
residing with Reyes-Medina. The individuals’ information belonged to
residents of a Santa Rosa residential care facility where Reyes-Medina
was employed.
Reyes-Medina was located at the Mohawk Street residence. Reyes-Medina
was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for the following
charges:
1st case:
Identity Theft
Theft by Use of a Credit Card
Grand Theft by Access Cards
Financial Elder Abuse
Commit a Felony While on Bail
2nd case:
Identity Theft (2 Counts)
Commit a Felony While on Bail
Grand Theft by Access Cards
Financial Elder Abuse
The investigations are active and ongoing.
According to police, Reyes-Medina was free on bail from a previous
investigation involving charges of identity theft from an
elder/dependent adult by a caretaker for a Sebastopol case.
The victim, 89-year-old Lina Gomez, suffers from advanced Alzheimer's and Dementia.
By NBC6
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced the arrest of the caretaker of an impaired elderly victim.
The investigation by the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Exploitation Task Force involves the alleged looting of the victim's funds.
The victim, 89-year-old Lina Gomez, suffers from advanced Alzheimer's
and Dementia, Fernandez Rundle told reporters at a press conference
Thursday afternoon.
Gomez had become non-verbal and did not have any family that could take care of her.
The 78-year-old defendant, Zoraida Denis Mollinea, had befriended Gomez in 2016, according to Fernandez Rundle.
Zoraida Denis Mollinea, 78
Mollinea reportedly obtained a power of attorney, gained access to bank accounts, and eventually even sold the victim’s home.
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The
caretaker of an elderly Rome resident was charged with defrauding the
man out of thousands of dollars, according to the Floyd County Sheriff’s
Office.
David Allen Jenkins was arrested on Nov. 17 on a felony charge of exploitation of an elderly person, the sheriff’s office said.
According
to the arrest warrant, Jenkins is accused of “knowingly and willingly”
exploiting the man, for whom “he was supposed to be a caretaker.”
The
warrant also states Jenkins is accused of defrauding the man and
stealing thousands of dollars from him between July 1 and Oct. 13, 2023,
making online purchases and Cash App transactions and taking cash
advances.
Several online banking apps were also “created without the knowledge of the victim,” according to the warrant.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A caretaker that was accused by a mother of abusing her disabled son is now behind bars.
According
to the warrant, 67-year-old Gayle Waugh abused Naomi Howard’s son,
Matthew Howard back in May at his home in Greenville.
The
video Howard shared with WITN shows Waugh allegedly pressing a
clipboard against Matthew’s face and later using a cane to poke and tap
Matthew in the face.
“Shocked,
disbelief. When this happened, I was just floored. It didn’t affect just
me. It affected my whole family and the community that something like
this would happen to an individual with a disability,” Naomi told WITN.
Now that an arrest has been made and a
charge has been filed, Greenville Police Department Special Victims Unit
Detective, Robert Signs, says, “How mean-spirited of a human being or
human beings can be. This is a defenseless man. He was unable to speak
for himself and was bedridden. No excuse for what was done in that
video.”
However, this wasn’t the first
time Waugh was accused of abusing a child. Latequa Brown, another Pitt
County parent, also accused Waugh of abusing their disabled daughter
4-year-old Annalise Brown. So far, there have been no charges filed in
that case.
“It’s not even about trust.
It’s about when you have a professional like a nurse or doctor, you’re
interacting with, it’s about keeping that oath to do no harm,” Howard
says.
Though Howard says their lives
will never be the same, moving forward, she only wants to shed light on
the pain to save other families from heartache and to get justice for
her son.
“It’s like when Humpty Dumpty fell off
the wall, he cracked, you couldn’t put him back together again and I
know that putting my son back together again is not going to happen,”
Howard said. “If your gut tells you that something isn’t right, follow
your gut and parents do like I do, put cameras in your home because our
kids cannot speak for themselves. Anything I can do to just continue to
show him love with my family, friends, all the support we’ve gotten off
of social media-- it has been overwhelming.”
Detective
Signs also says the case was brought to their attention by the care
facility Waugh worked at who later notified Howard. Signs says with the
video evidence, it is clear that the officer on duty did the right thing
by taking out a felony charge on Waugh.
Waugh was jailed on a $10,000 bond and has a court date of October 25th.
Jamaika Tyasia Wallace, a 27-year-old caretaker, was arrested for a
shocking case of exploitation of an elderly individual in Alameda
County.
According to the Alameda County DA reports,
Wallace is facing multiple charges, including elder theft, unauthorized
use of an account, theft of access card data, grand theft, and identity
theft.
The case comes to light following the arrest of Jamaika Wallace by the Berkeley Police Department on August 10, 2023.
Wallace is accused of stealing a total of $6,154 from an 80-year-old woman whom she had been providing care for, per a tweet by Henry Lee KTVU.
Court records show that at the time of her arrest, Wallace was using the victim's debit card without permission.
As efforts to combat elder abuse continue, Wallace's arrest serves as
a stark reminder of the unfortunate reality that many vulnerable
seniors face.
With an arraignment scheduled for
August 14, 2023, at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, more details of the
case are expected to emerge as the investigation proceeds.
If convicted, Wallace could face significant penalties, including imprisonment and restitution fees.
Chelsey Payne, 30 (Courtesy of Flagler County Sheriff's Office. Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)
PALM COAST, Fla. – A Florida caretaker was arrested on Dec. 2 after being caught on camera abusing a disabled man in her care last month.
On
Nov. 22, Flagler County deputies responded to reports about a woman
physically abusing a disabled man at the Palm Coast Community Center a
day prior, the sheriff’s office said.
The community center provided investigators with surveillance footage
showing 30-year-old Chelsey Payne pushing the man, as well as hitting
him in the face several times with both an open hand and a closed fist.
Deputies said Payne, who was identified via the footage, was an employee of East Coast Habilitation Options, Inc., a
company that provides service for those with developmental
disabilities. According to a news release, Payne was fired by the
company after they were made aware of the incident.
“This
supposed ‘caretaker’ clearly did not show any care of compassion was she
was abusing a disabled person,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said
in a statement. “We send our deepest sympathies to the victim and their
family.”
Payne was arrested in her home in Putnam County and was taken to the Flagler County jail, where she was later released on bond.
She is facing a charge for the abuse of a disabled adult, whose identity is not being released at this time.
Tina Marie Kessel, 47. (Credit: Naples Police Department)
A woman has been arrested by Naples police and is accused of stealing from a 93-year-old in her care.
Police say in January, the 93-year-old victim reported that 16
fraudulent charges were made using their banking information. Police say
the charges were made over several weeks and totaled $805.63.
On Sunday, 47-year-old Tina Marie Kessel was arrested by Naples
police. An investigation by the Naples Police Department determined that
Kessel was responsible for making the fraudulent charges.
According to police, Kessel, who had been hired by the victim for
in-home care, used the victim’s banking information to buy groceries and
alcohol through Instacart.
Kessel is facing charges of grand theft from a person 65 or older, exploitation of an elderly adult, and a scheme to defraud.
A woman working at Cornerstone retirement center in Texarkana was
arrested last week for allegedly assaulting an 87-year-old woman
suffering from dementia.
Sharee Shantrell Bryant, 48, was allegedly caught on video entering
the woman’s room and slapping her across the face at Cornerstone on
Moore’s Lane in Texarkana, Texas, according to a probable cause
affidavit.
The woman’s son placed a camera inside his mother’s room after
noticing several bruises on her. Texarkana, Texas, Police Department
responded to a call from an administrator at the nursing facility about
the alleged abuse Thursday. An officer viewed the video with the elderly
woman’s son and turned the case over to a detective.
Bryant was arrested Friday on a charge of injury to a child, elderly or
disabled person. Her bond is set at $200,000 and she is currently being
held in the Bowie County jail.
APPLE VALLEY, Calif. (VVNG.com) — A 38-year-old
caretaker from Hesperia was arrested after allegedly stealing from her
client, a 97-year-old World War II Veteran, officials said.
On Thursday, March 3, 2022, at approximately 12:29 p.m., Sheriff’s
Service Specialist Reynolds with the Apple Valley Police Department
responded to a theft report at a residence in the 11000 block of Oak
Street, in the town of Apple Valley.
Upon arrival, the reporting party told Reynolds her husband’s Rolex
watch and over $200 in US currency were stolen. The Rolex was last seen
on the victim’s wrist on March 2, 2022, officials said.
Reynolds conducted a thorough investigation and identified the suspect as Jessica Steiner, the caregiver to the victim.
On March 3, 2022, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Deputy Rollins
contacted Steiner at her residence. The Rolex watch was recovered and
returned to the victim, but Steiner had already spent the money.
Steiner was arrested and booked into the High Desert Detention Center
on suspicion of felony theft of an elder by a caretaker. She was cited
and released on March 4, 2022.
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact
Sheriff’s Service Specialist Reynolds or Deputy Rollins at the Apple
Valley Police Department at (760) 240-7400 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at
(760) 956-5001.
A western Illinois woman is accused stealing from an elderly man while serving as his caretaker.
Anna Oller, 62, of Good Hope is charged with:
Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Person
Two counts of Felony Theft
Anna Oller
Credit McDonough County Sheriff's Department
The
McDonough County Sheriff’s Department said the victim reported in
August that several items were missing from his home after he returned
from a hospital stay.
He suspected Oller.
The sheriff’s
department said its investigation found that Oller had the missing
property and that she had used the man’s finances to her own benefit.
She was arrested Tuesday, November 30, at her home.
Michael Redmon (Source: Franklin County Detention Center)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A 51-year-old Frankfort man has been
charged with criminal abuse after investigators say he left his
48-year-old wife trapped in his pickup truck for five days.
According
to an arrest report, Michael Redmon is the caretaker for his wife, who
struggles with cognitive challenges. The Franklin County Sheriff's
Office says that on Monday, July 12, she asked Redmon to take her to the
hospital in the truck.
But instead of taking her to the hospital, police say Redmon left her
in the truck for several days, ignoring her calls for help.
The
woman would not be taken to the hospital until Saturday, July 17, when
police say Redmon drove her to Frankfort Regional Medical Center in the
truck, after she'd been in the vehicle for five days, according to the
arrest report.
Investigators say when she arrived, the woman was covered in urine
and feces, which was leaking out of the passenger side door. She was
also covered in numerous sores, and her skin was "deteriorating,"
according to the report.
Redmon was arrested and charged with
first-degree criminal abuse. He is currently being held in the Franklin
County Detention Center.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis caretaker was arrested after he was
accused of beating an 83-year-old woman and then hitting her with her
own car.
According to police, officers discovered the injured woman when they
responded to the 1500 block of Marianna Street on June 1. She told
authorities Melvin Brooks, 64, struck her several times in the face so
hard that her dentures fell out of her mouth.
He then reportedly proceeded to hit her in the body and chest before jumping into her car and hitting her.
Brooks was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, attempted
second-degree murder, vulnerable adult abuse and misdemeanor assault.
Inger Louise Mims was arrested Sunday by Cartersville police after a
Percocet pill she couldn't produce a prescription for was found in her
wallet, according to authorities. (Shutterstock)
CARTERSVILLE, GA — A woman
accused of elder neglect is in jail Friday after a pill not prescribed
for her fell out of her wallet while police were questioning her,
according to authorities.
In
addition to being charged with neglect to a disabled adult, elder
person or resident, Inger Louise Mims of Cartersville is charged with
possession of a schedule-II controlled substance. Both charges are
felonies.
Mims was arrested Sunday after a niece at their
residence on Beaureguard Street complained to Cartersville police that
Mims was "taking advantage of her grandfather," according to the
incident report.
When questioned, Mims told the
investigating officer that she helped care for the grandfather and
"does not mistreat him in any way," according to the report. But when
Mims pulled out her wallet to show identification, a white pill — later
identified as Gabapentin, used to control seizures and shingles — fell
to the ground.
When Mims told the officer that the pill was
medication for the grandfather, the officer asked for permission to
search her wallet. There, he found two more white pills: tizanidine
hydrochloride, a muscle relaxer; and Percocet, the brand name for
oxycodone, a schedule-II controlled substance. Mims told the officer she
had been prescribed the Percocet, but when she couldn't produce a
prescription she was arrested.
