Laguna Niguel Caretaker Charged with Stealing More than $600,000 from Elderly Client

 A Laguna Niguel woman accused of stealing more than $600,000 from an 85-year-old client she was hired to care for was behind bars today.

Norma Ruth Casini was employed by LivHOME, a caregiver service, and started working for the elderly Laguna Woods woman, who needed 24-hour care, in
November 2006, said Deputy District Attorney Marc Labreche.

In March 2009, a LivHOME employee did a surprise visit to the client's home and found Casini was not at work as she was supposed to be, Labreche said.

After Casini was fired, LivHOME officials found that the woman's savings had been drained from $700,000 in June 2008 to about $5,000, Labreche said.

"It looks to me like it was all spent on things like Lasik surgery for her and her husband, private school for the kids, concerts, travel, food and other personal things,'' Labreche said.

Nearly $20,000 was spent on care for her dog, including the services of a  "dog whisperer,'' Labreche said.

Casini was arrested Wednesday and is being held on $610,000 bail—the amount she is accused of stealing—but she must prove any money she uses for bail comes from a legal and legitimate source, Labreche said.

She is scheduled to be arraigned today on 34 felony counts of fraudulently using a credit card, 24 felony counts of forgery, and a felony count of caretaker theft from an elder.

Casini could be sentenced to up to 49 years and eight months in prison if she is convicted, Labreche said.

The Orange County Public Guardian assumed control of caring the victim, he said.

—City News Service