Caregiver arrested in $10,000 theft from Los Altos Hills couple

LOS ALTOS HILLS – A caregiver was arrested last week on suspicion of stealing more than $10,000 from an elderly Los Altos Hills couple, according to authorities.

In December, the couple’s debit card was used to make 15 unauthorized withdrawals from ATMs in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Mountain View, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Brooks Jarosz said in a news release Tuesday.

The theft was reported in February, when the victims’ daughter was preparing tax documents.

The sheriff’s office opened an investigation and ultimately identified the suspect as a 44-year-old Santa Clara man who was working for a company that provides caretaking services for the elderly, according to Jarosz. The man was “temporarily assigned as a caretaker for the Los Altos Hills victims,” Jarosz said.

Four of the withdrawals happened at 7-Eleven ATMs in Santa Clara, according to Jarosz. The others took place at Bank of America ATMs, with most totaling $900 each.

Jarosz said a total of $10,607 was stolen from the victims.

On April 16, the suspect was arrested and booked into county jail on charges of unlawful use of a debit card and financial elder abuse by a caregiver, according to Jarosz.

There may be other victims, Jarosz said. The suspect was most recently hired as a caregiver in September and passed a company background check. He claimed to have four years experience as a caregiver.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact detectives at 408-868-6600.