Authorities in Acworth are on the lookout for a female con artist who infiltrated an assisted-living facility and preyed on the elderly. Disguised as a care worker, the woman managed to slide past the security of Celebration Village and victimize residents by stealing their debit and credit cards. In an interview obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, Acworth Police Officer Eric Mistretta spoke to the heartlessness of the crime, lamenting, "It's very sad that someone would do this, and take advantage of elderly people like this."
Donning scrubs to appear as part of the staff, the suspect checked the doors of the elderly, sneaking into any that were left unlocked to commit her thefts. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Mistretta revealed her method, saying, "She's checking doors of residents and entering in any rooms that are unlocked. When she enters the room, she's stealing debit cards and credit cards."
Her crime spree extended to a local Walmart where, caught on camera, she used the purloined cards to buy gift cards among other items, while heavily disguised to avoid recognition. A surveillance video highlighted by BNN Breaking depicts her clad with a mask, head covering, and glasses. This footage captures her brazen act as she attempts to erase her identity in the plain sight of others.
The thief was last seen fleeing the Walmart parking lot in a white Toyota Corolla, noted for its temporary tag which could be a sham. Mistretta stressed the call for public assistance to protect potential victims and halt the woman's fraudulent spree, urging "any family members or elderly victims to make sure they're checking their bank statements and credit reports and if they notice anything fraudulent to notify police," as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. Anyone with information on the suspect or the questionable vehicle is encouraged to reach out to Acworth Police at 770-974-1232, which was detailed explicitly in a statement by police.
