Two sheriff's deputies in Sacramento County are on leave pending an investigation into allegations that they stole money from a 75-year-old woman with dementia, listed her home for sale and put her on a plane to the Philippines, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The alleged victim is Rosalie Santallan Achiu, who is described as "a frail military wife who loved to play cards and was fluent in several languages but seemed lost and afraid since her husband died more than a year ago." The deputies under investigation are Stephanie Angel and a male colleague who was not named.
Neighbors noticed she disappeared, but had no idea where she went. Investigators from the sheriff's department and a federal agency found her in the Philippines, living with relatives. The investigators also found "many unusual activities by both deputies, both on and off duty."
Achiu met the deputies after calling for help dealing with a housemate and within weeks they had listed her house was listed for sale and opened a joint bank account with her, according to an attorney representing her family. They had her have the locks drilled out of her safety deposit box to take her jewelry. They were granted power of attorney and were named on her living will. Then, they allegedly ordered her a passport on RushMyPassport.com and sent her back to her home country, the Philippines.
"They just took her," neighbor Jo Osborn told the Times. "That was crazy, and to find out she was sent to the Philippines, that's really crazy."
