A Deerfield Beach home health aide was charged with stealing from an elderly woman she was supposed to protect, Broward Sheriff's Office deputies say. The aide, 34-year-old Kareeka Hutchinson of Margate, is facing multiple felony charges, including elderly exploitation, identity theft on a disabled adult, and grand theft, reports Local 10 News.
Hutchinson had been tasked with the care of a 95-year-old wheelchair-bound woman through a company called Better Health. Between Sept. 25 and Oct. 9, she allegedly made five unauthorized withdrawals using the victim's debit card. On Oct. 10, she reportedly splurged $90.90 at Victoria's Secret utilizing the resources of the senior, the BSO warrant states.
According to surveillance footage, Hutchinson was captured at Wells Fargo ATMs in Deerfield Beach and Coconut Creek using the senior's debit card. She was arrested this past Monday and subsequently posted a $10,000 bond, as evidenced by court records. The case raises questions about the safety and vigilance required in home health care services for the most vulnerable.
Detailing the charges, a Facebook post by BrowardFL Mugshots confirms Hutchinson's bail was set at $2,500 for the grand theft charge while there was no bail for the charges of fraud using ID without consent of a disabled adult and exploitation of an elderly person amounting to less than $20,000. Hutchinson stands at 5 feet tall, weighs 154 pounds, and her arrest record lists her as an Aquarius, which, though a cosmic misstep, offers no insight into the grave allegations she faces.
