A Los Angeles couple in their 80s says they've been waiting nearly two years for the LAPD to do something about their allegations of elder abuse.
Jane Shearing wants to know why charges for cereal, tablets and other items she says she never purchased kept showing up on her and husband John's credit card statements.
In 2015, the Shearings hired a caregiver after John, who goes by Jack, suffered two debilitating strokes. They say jewelry and electronics went missing from their home soon after.
"The ring that was made of my mother's engagement ring had the most value to me," Jane Shearing said.
In 2016, she noticed unfamiliar expenses on their credit cards.
"I saw the receipt and said, 'What the heck is this?'" she said.
There was a receipt for $327 for DJ equipment, signed Jack Shearing. The name he signs, however, is John A.
Receipts detail tens of thousands of dollars in purchases on the Shearings accounts. Capital One investigated, confirming fraud in a letter from February 2016 writing, "We're sorry you've had to go through this."
Rigo Reyes with Los Angeles County's Department of Consumer Affairs says adult protective services is the best investigative agency to call for issues of elder abuse.
"You have folks who are experts at that type of fraud," Reyes said.
Jane Shearing filed reports with the LAPD in 2015 and 2016.
We've been asking LAPD for a month what gives. They say this is a paper case, requiring a lot of financial documents and that the case will be presented to the district attorney's office for consideration this week.
"I've been told at least three times that they're going to present it to the district attorney and they have not," Jane Shearing said.
She says her husband is moving faster than this investigation. The couple says they think they know who did it, but feel they've waited long enough for police to do something about it.
The caregiver has not been charged with any crime or named as a suspect in this case.
One of their credit card companies has reimbursed the couple for their losses. Another one says they caught the unauthorized spending too late.
