Toronto police are trying to identify a woman who allegedly walked into a Toronto retirement home posing as a nurse and stole $1,000 in cash from a 91-year-old resident.
Police say at around 1:50 p.m. on Monday, a woman wearing scrubs entered a retirement home in the area of Avenue Road and Eglinton Avenue West and proceeded to walk into a unit that was unlocked.
At that point, police say the woman ransacked the dwelling for valuables, stealing $1,000 in Canadian and U.S. Currency from purses and wallets that were inside.
The 91-year-old female resident then returned home and spotted the woman, who subsequently fled the scene.
Police say they believe the suspect was not targeting the resident and simply entered the first unit that was not locked.
“At this time we don’t know if this person actually is a Personal Support Worker or a nurse but obviously judging by the actions this is not a person in the care field for the right reasons if she is in fact in the field,” Const. Victor Kwong told CTV News on Friday afternoon. “It already takes a certain type of person to break into a person’s house and steal and it takes it to another level to prey on those who are elderly and perhaps vulnerable. It is disheartening to see this actually happening.”
The suspect is described as a thin female in her 30s with shoulder-length brown hair. According to police, she was wearing hot pink scrubs, a white baseball cap, white shoes and a royal blue lanyard with a white name tag.
Investigators say they believe there may be more victims.
“If this person targeted this building once and went straight in without lingering or having second thoughts, perhaps it is not her first time,” Kwong told CTV News.
Security camera images have been released of a suspect in the case and police are asking anyone with information about the case to call 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
