A helper has been charged after stealing credit cards from an elderly man in Metro Vancouver.
Mounties in Surrey say the aide was arrested last week, about a month after the investigation began in another city.
In late June, Richmond RCMP were told a 96-year-old man’s wallet was stolen from his home. According to police, his debit and credit cards, which were in the wallet, were used in Surrey and Delta.
So the Surrey RCMP detachment took over and identified the domestic helper who was caring for the victim as a suspect. Investigators say the suspect stole the wallet, then began using the cards.
Less than a month after the investigation began, an arrest warrant was issued for that aide, Anna Marie Lat Chamdal. She was arrested earlier this week on charges of fraud over $5,000, possession or use of a stolen credit card and two counts of using a false document.
The 30-year-old Surrey resident is also charged with identity theft, identity with intent to gain an advantage and breach of duty.
Chamdal is not currently in police custody, but has been released on court-imposed conditions, including appearing before a bail bondsman. She cannot work if that work involves entering someone’s private home or working in a facility or building that cares for the elderly, and she cannot have any documents or cards in other people’s names.
The allegations against the aide have not been tested in court, but RCMP have released a photo of the woman in hopes it will “help advance the ongoing investigation.”
Police say she worked as a caregiver in Richmond, Delta and White Rock, as well as Surrey.
“It’s disheartening to see an elderly person taken advantage of, especially by a person entrusted with their care,” said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Vanessa Mun said in a press release about the arrest Friday.
She said the case is a reminder for family members to monitor finances for signs of exploitation.
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