Son says dad showed ‘signs of dementia’ when woman stole his debit card, Florida cops say
A woman made almost 40 trips to several Walmarts and smoke shops using a man’s debit card without him knowing, Florida police said. The man “was showing signs of dementia,” his sold told police.
The 54-year-old woman used the man’s debit card to make more than 60 purchases over the span of a few months, according to a Jan. 23 Wildwood Police Department arrest report obtained by McClatchy News.
She was arrested and charged with theft and exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult, according to the report.
An officer arrived to the woman’s home in The Villages to investigate a theft report, police said. She admitted to the officer she used the man’s card for a few unauthorized purchases but said other items were bought with his permission and she paid him back, according to the report.
When asked if she could provide any receipts or proof, the woman couldn’t, police said.
The man’s son told police he wasn’t aware of his father giving the woman the debit card, the report said. His father could no longer do things such as use his TV remote or use his phone to call him, his son told police.
Wildwood Police Department could not confirm to McClatchy News what the relationship between the woman and the victim was.
Over the course of a few months, the woman visited seven Walmart locations 30 times with the debit card, police said. She also made nine trips to three smoke shops, as well as 14 Google purchases and nine Metro by T-Mobile purchases, according to police.
The woman spent $3,486.64 since October, police said.
She was booked at Sumter County Detention Facility and was not given bond, according to the report.
The Villages is about 60 miles northwest of Orlando.
This story was originally published January 31, 2024 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Son says dad showed ‘signs of dementia’ when woman stole his debit card, Florida cops say."
