Overland Park nursing home worker stole $10K in jewelry from dementia patient: police
A certified nursing assistant at an Overland Park nursing home allegedly stole nearly $10,000 in jewelry from a 99-year-old dementia patient in the middle of the night, according to charges filed by prosecutors.
Leah Anne Goodall, 23, was arrested Saturday ahead of her preliminary hearing. She is charged in Johnson County District Court with mistreatment of an elder.
A daughter of the elderly woman noticed her mother was missing four rings in April 2018. She reported the incident to staff at the nursing home, who informed her that Goodall had cared for her mother the previous day and did not return to work, court documents said.
Initially, Goodall allegedly told police she had placed the rings on the dresser. When officers told her the rings were missing, she allegedly said “they are dementia patients” and said a friend of hers may have taken the rings.
When officers told her there was surveillance video of the room, Goodall allegedly admitted to using lotion to remove the rings, valued at $9,976, from the patient’s hand and taking them.
She allegedly told police she still had two of the rings but had given the others to her boyfriend to sell at a pawn shop. She allegedly said she told her boyfriend she had found the rings, according to prosecutors.
Goodall’s boyfriend allegedly told police he had sold the two gold rings for $100, according to court documents. He offered to help recover the items.
The rings were located and returned to the nursing home resident, along with the two rings Goodall had kept, according to court documents.
Goodall’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 13 at 11 a.m.
