Caregiver stole $78K, house from 96-year-old Centralia woman with dementia

A woman in Centralia was arrested for financially exploiting a 96-year-old vulnerable woman by accessing her accounts, stealing $78,000, and taking her house.

On April 8, Centralia Police Department (CPD) officers responded to concerns from neighbors and to Adult Protective Services referrals regarding the elderly woman, CPD announced Wednesday.

CPD noted the victim has been diagnosed with dementia and requires skilled nursing care, thus making her a vulnerable adult under Washington law.

An investigation revealed that the suspect, originally from California, had been acting as the victim’s caregiver and roommate since around mid-2025 and gained a Durable Power of Attorney over the victim in September 2025.

Suspect took over victim’s home, spent thousands on horses and travel

Soon afterwards, the suspect transferred the deed to the victim’s Centralia home into her own name through a quitclaim deed, which was claimed to be a “gift.”

Bank records found that after the suspect gained control of the victims’ accounts, approximately $78,000 was withdrawn or spent between September 2025 and March.

CPD noted the amount exceeded the victim’s monthly income of roughly $8,000 from Social Security and pension benefits.

Some of the suspects’ unauthorized transactions included more than $21,400 in cash withdrawals and tens of thousands of dollars in spending on horse-related items such as Tractor Supply, Farm Store, and horse transport.

Additionally, the suspect spent the funds dining out, traveling (Amtrak, Airbnb, rodeo tickets), entertainment (StubHub, streaming services), and Venmo transfers to out-of-state individuals. Recurring charges were also inconsistent with the victim’s situation as a resident of a nursing home without a vehicle or livestock.

Multi-state criminal past includes identity theft, fraud convictions

The victim told detectives she did not authorize the large cash withdrawals or personal expenditures and believed the Power of Attorney and property transfer were to strictly allow the suspect to handle household bills and for inheritance after the victim’s death. The victim has since expressed her desire to revoke the Power of Attorney.

CPD noted the suspect has an extensive multi-state criminal history that involves fraud, forgery, theft, and identity-related offenses in several states, including California, Colorado, Oregon, Maryland, Michigan, and Nevada, with multiple documented aliases.

The suspect was arrested without incident and booked into Lewis County Jail on one count of forgery, 10 counts of first-degree theft, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The investigation remains active.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Centralia Police Department at (360) 330-7680.

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