http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-nursing-assistants-accused-of-stealing-from-dying-woman-20120423,0,6319879.column

Nurses arrested for stealing money from dying patient
On April 24, 2012, in Forgery, Fraud,

Indiana police arrested two Muncie nursing home employees accused of stealing from a resident who was in the final days of her life.

Alice Phillips and Kendra Echols were arrested by the Muncie Police Department on Friday and charged with multiple counts of fraud and forgery.

Their arrests came one day before the death of their victim, 78-year-old Maria Partin.

Partin, who was in failing health, was a resident at the Liberty Village Nursing Home where Phillips and Echols worked as Certified Nursing Assistants.

Members of Partin’s family suspected fraud when they noticed about $4,000 in small purchases on Partin’s bank statement.

“And that’s something that my grandmother is not able to do,” said Partin’s granddaughter, Ashley Mullis. “You know, she’s dying. We knew it wasn’t her.”

Muncie Police Detective Robert Scaife examined surveillance video from several Muncie stores where the purchases were made. He said the video showed Phillips and Echols buying all kinds of things.

Police went to the homes of Phillips and Echols and arrested them Friday.

Partin, who had recently been on dialysis, died the next day.