Elder Financial Abuse Peninsula Defendant Arraigned With No Plea

REDWOOD CITY, CA — A Redwood City woman was arraigned Monday for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from an elderly woman she was caring for, San Mateo County prosecutors said.

Nina Guttenbeil, 50, began to work for the 98-year-old victim as a caretaker in 2015 after the victim's husband passed away. She was hired on the recommendation of a local church, according to the district attorney's office.

Prosecutors said that between 2015 and this March, Guttenbeil used the victim's ATM card to steal $107,158 from the victim's bank account.

Earlier this year, the victim's daughters started looking at their mother's finances and confronted Guttenbeil about the theft. She allegedly admitted she had been stealing from the victim, and the daughters eventually reported the theft to the sheriff's office.

Guttenbeil is charged with financial abuse of an elder and unauthorized use of another person's personal information. She was held on $100,000 and did not enter a plea Monday, but was set to return to court Tuesday afternoon to request her release on her own recognizance and for further arraignment.

—Bay City News