She was hired to clean a house. She also cleaned out most of her client's bank accounts, or so a lawsuit alleges.
A criminal investigation into a Garden Grove housekeeper accused of taking more than $1.4 million from a retired octogenarian couple with serious medical ailments highlights the growing problem of financial elder abuse in Orange County.
The bad economy is only making things worse, say law enforcement officials and those trying to prevent seniors from getting scammed - often by loved ones.
Experts have seen children in their 50s and 60s who have lost their jobs moving back in with their parents - only to rip them off.
They've also seen caregivers who earn a position of trust with those who cling to them during their final years, police and other officials say.
The elderly are particularly susceptible to financial scams because they often feel isolated and are quick to trust new friends, experts say. Also, many have ailments that cloud their judgment and thinking, and thus can become vulnerable to financial predators.
"I have heard financial elder abuse referred to as the 'crime of indignity,' and it's definitely on the rise," said Julie Schoen, director of the Financial Abuse Specialist Team for the Council on Aging of Orange County, which serves older and dependent adults and their families.
Reported cases of financial elder abuse in Orange County totaled 1,141 in 2008, with similar caseloads this year, said Carol Mitchell, program manager of Adult Protective Service of Orange County, which responds to allegations of elder abuse and neglect.
The actual numbers are believed to be much higher - and growing - because the crimes are notoriously underreported and there could be a lag in reported cases since the economy soured, Mitchell said.
"Not all of these cases involve large sums of money," she said. "Some involve a person simply diverting monthly Social Security payments into their own bank account."
HIRED HELP
What two lawsuits claim was the scheme carried out by Garden Grove housekeeper Marlina Heinz falls on the other end of the spectrum, with fancy cruises, a brand-new Corvette, and a quickie wedding in Vegas - to a frail, stooped-over widower more than three decades her senior.
No criminal charges have been filed against Heinz, although police in Orange are investigating her for possible fraud-related crimes, Sgt. Dan Adams said.
Lawsuits filed against Heinz say she looted more than half of the assets of Charles and Lois Woodbridge of Orange.
Heinz could not be reached for comment. Her attorney, Michelle West, also could not be reached.
The lawsuits were filed by Rancho Santa Margarita attorney Noelle M. Tomp, who has been practicing elder, probate and trust law for 16 years.
Tomp sued Heinz on behalf of John Woodbridge, the only child of the Woodbridges. Charles and Lois lived for decades on a quiet street in Orange and ran a profitable family business, Woodbridge Advertising, where John also worked.
In 2002, Lois was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia. In early 2003, her husband - who went by "Woody" - was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
John and his wife, Melissa, insisted that a housekeeper be hired to help the couple a few times a week.
Heinz started working for the Woodbridges in July 2005. She was assigned to them through Dana's Housekeeping in Garden Grove.
VEGAS WEDDING
Heinz's duties increased as the conditions of Woody and Lois worsened. Another caretaker eventually was hired to help out.
Five days before Lois' death, at age 81, in October 2006, while Lois was lying in a coma, the lawsuits allege, Heinz took Woody to an attorney to have his and Lois' longstanding estate plan amended so she would receive $200,000 in cash and be named trustee of their estate.
About a month after Lois died, Heinz was added to the couple's bank accounts and started burning through cash, including purchasing a Corvette for about $60,000 in March 2007, the lawsuits allege.
Other allegations include that Heinz drove Woody to the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas and married him on July 3, 2007 - despite her already having been married, since October 1993.
After the wedding, Heinz amended the family trust to give her most of the assets - taking them away from John, according to the lawsuits.
Heinz isolated Woody from his neighbors and his son and daughter-in-law - even accusing John and Melissa of trying to steal from him, the lawsuits say.
"The greatest loss to me is not the theft of my family's assets, but the fact that my father, who suffered from severe dementia, was deceived into believing that I did not love him anymore and was trying do him harm," John Woodbridge told the Register.
"There is no judge or court ruling that can ever erase the pain of this."
When Woody died on June 24, 2008, Heinz controlled the majority of his remaining assets and didn't tell any of his friends or neighbors or have a memorial service, according to the lawsuit.
"She refused to release Woody's ashes to John (but) 'generously' gave him two tablespoons of his remains," the lawsuit says.
CALL FOR VIGILANCE
The civil lawsuits against Heinz were settled last week, Tomp said.
Lawsuits remain against Dana's Housekeeping and two attorneys Heinz used to alter the Woodbridges' trust. Tomp is alleging legal malpractice.
Under terms of the settlement, Heinz agreed to pay John Woodbridge $50,000 in cash and give him a home she bought in Garden Grove, according to Tomp.
John Woodbridge, who said he also lost a lifetime of photos, said the settlement only goes so far.
"The hard lesson I learned was, if you have elderly parents and need to get them assistance, you must pay close attention to the hired helper and don't trust anyone - especially if they start becoming too familiar with your family's affairs," he said.
"If they do, replace them immediately."
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