FROM:
Stephen Gibbons, Assistant District Attorney

CONTACT PERSON:
Cindy Seeley Hendrickson, Deputy District Attorney
(408) 792-2551

For release on November 22, 2005

CAREGIVER TO BE ARRAIGNED THIS AFTERNOON ON CHARGES THAT SHE BILKED ELDERLY VICTIM OUT OF OVER $64,000.00

On Friday, November 18, 2005, San Jose Police, led by Detective Dave Wilson, arrested Hiraina Mosonia Mapa, 32, of Sunnyvale on charges of elder financial abuse, grand theft and forgery for embezzling over $64,000.00 from a 77-year-old woman, by whom she was employed as a live-in caregiver since July 2003. The known losses date back only a few months so the total amount of loss may end up being even higher.

The office of the District Attorney has filed three felony counts against Ms. Mapa in a complaint that alleges the loss exceeds $50,000.00. The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon at 2:00 in Department 23 of the Santa Clara County Superior Court, Hall of Justice. She faces up to 5 years, 8 months state prison if convicted of all charges.

The defendant committed the crime under the guise of helping the victim pay her bills. Over the years the victim had come to trust the defendant. The victim, who is legally blind, would sign blank checks that she instructed the defendant to make payable for the victim’s bills. Instead, the defendant made many of them payable to herself.