Filipina caregiver in US charged with stealing $6,000 from cancer patient

MANILA, Philippines – April Ablaza, a Filipina caregiver in Riverside, Illinois, USA, was charged on Friday, August 7, for stealing more than $6,000 from a 76-year-old cancer patient.

A CBS News report said that Ablaza told her former employer in early April that she had to go back to the Philippines to take care of a sick or dying relative.

After that, the patient and her 45-year-old son noticed a series of unauthorized withdrawals from the woman’s bank account over several months. 

Investigators later determined her story of having to go back to the Philippines was false.

According to the Sun Times, the victim and her son filed a complaint on May 18 at the Riverside Police Department. They were able to gather bank records, surveillance footage, and other evidence to indict Ablaza, who had made at least 8 unauthorized withdrawals, which totaled $6,300.

Police were initially unable to locate her, even with an arrest warrant and a $100,000 cash bond. 

She turned herself in on July 28, and was charged with felony theft. She is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, August 14. – Rappler.com