SAN ANTONIO -- Police have arrested a caretaker they say stole money from an elderly woman.
Police say 49-year-old Carlota Cecelia Garcia was employed by an agency hired to help care for the 86-year-old victim. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the victim contacted police in August saying she wanted to report someone had taken money from her bank account without her permission. The elderly woman's credit union turned over ATM surveillance photos of the person making the withdrawals to investigators. The affidavit states both the victim and Garcia's employer then confirmed Garcia was the person in those photos.
Garcia's employer also told investigators she had terminated Garcia after investigating the alleged theft. She said she recovered the victim's ATM card from Garcia and had returned it to the elderly woman. The employer told police Garcia claimed the victim was present each time she used the debit card. However, the victim told investigators she did not know a debit card had been issued to Garcia on her account.
Police say more than $1,500 was taken from the elderly woman's account.
Carlota Cecelia Garcia has been charged with Exploitation of the Elderly.