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Woman Posing As Nurse Wanted For Stealing From North Texas Retirement Community Residents

UPDATE: North Texas Woman Who Allegedly Posed As Nurse And Stole From Seniors Arrested

LEWISVILLE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Lewisville police are looking for a woman they say pretended to administer COVID-19 tests to residents of a retirement community in order to steal from them.

Police say it happened to at least three women who live at Discovery Village at Castle Hills.

"Today she broke down crying to me," said Brian Howe about his 91-year-old grandmother, who was one of the victims.

Brian Howe's grandparents
Brian Howe's grandparents (credit: Brian Howe)

She lives at Discovery Village at Castle Hills.

Last week, the retirement home brought in a private company to test residents for COVID-19.

"They came in the morning, did their work, and were gone by mid-afternoon," said Matt Martucci, public information coordinator for the City of Lewisville. "Around 7 o'clock that same night, an employee of that private company came back, posing as a nurse and saying she needed to get a few more COVID samples."

Howe says his grandma thought it was odd, but the woman insisted on getting a urine sample.

"When she came back out, she noticed her jewelry box had been tampered with," he said. "The lady was gone, and she was missing some items."

Howe says the woman stole rings his grandma's husband of 65 years had given her on milestone anniversaries.

"It was heirlooms she received from her loved one that has passed away, that when she holds them or sees them, she remembers the memories she had," Howe said. "There's no way you could ever replace that."

Police say the woman did the same thing to at least two other residents of the facility.

"Targeting elderly citizens is kind of low to begin with, but then you're also taking advantage of this COVID fear," Martucci said.

Martucci says officers are very motivated to find the suspect as soon as possible to give these senior citizens some closure.

"We will catch this lady, and we will prevent her from hurting anyone else," Howe said.

Police haven't received any other reports of this scheme happening at other facilities in Lewisville, but they can't rule out that possibility.

If someone feels like something similar happened to them, investigators urge them to contact police.

Discovery Village at Castle Hills
Discovery Village at Castle Hills in Lewisville (CBS 11)

Management of the retirement community did not respond to CBS 11's request for comment.

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