West Seattle Crime Watch: Ex-caregiver pleads not guilty to stealing from Holocaust survivor

A 54-year-old Alki woman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars and jewelry from a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor for whom she served as a caregiver earlier this year. Mary C. Park was in King County Superior Court today and pleaded not guilty to first-degree theft. She spent a day in jail after her arrest earlier this month, but she has no criminal history, and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says Park will remain out of custody while the case proceeds. Charging and search-warrant documents say Park started working last February for the family of the victim, who is said to have stored cash in her home because of fears tracing back to having been sent to the Auschwitz death camp during World War II. It’s suspected that Park stole the cash one day last month when the victim recalls having been told to get into the bathtub and ordered to stay there. Gold, opal, and diamond necklaces were discovered to be missing, too. The family fired Park at the end of July, documents say, and called police days later after realizing the money and jewelry were missing. Park is due back in court on September 13th.

RG August 30, 2012 (9:27 pm)

Please keep us posted on this case. If it turns out the victim is in need of financial help, in any way, I’m positive that as a community we can help out by setting up a donation account for her.

WSB August 30, 2012 (10:15 pm)

I plan to follow it. Just happened to come across it while reading random search warrants/returns that had been made public (every so often that file yields an interesting story). It sounded as if she and her husband (also in his 90s) have loving, local family – the caregiver was not full-time, but rather someone who came in to help out a few hours a day. – TR

KD August 30, 2012 (10:33 pm)

RG, that is very kind of you to begin that thought. I wanted to let you know!

Noelle August 31, 2012 (9:22 am)

Who does that? I just can’t imagine how a person could be so free of morals as to decide to steal from a Holocaust survivor.

rmp August 31, 2012 (3:31 pm)

Who does that … can’t imagine either, but I can’t imagine stealing from anyone!

Ajax August 31, 2012 (7:09 pm)

Just because the “caregiver” doesn’t have a criminal history doesn’t mean that she hasn’t done this before. It may have gone unnoticed by previous victims without family to oversee their affairs, or they may have been too ashamed to report it. I hope Ms. Park is punished to the fullest extent of the law for her crime against a very vulnerable member of our society.

carolei September 1, 2012 (9:13 am)

Ajax and others,
Let’s not be so quick to render judgement. I know nothing about this case other than what I have read here in the blog. However, years ago I had an elderly neighbor in the early stages of dementia who believed she was the victim of multiple robberies, when in fact she had moved items in her home herself. The accused may have committed a heartless crime, but we don’t have all the information and she is innocent until proven guilty.

davros September 2, 2012 (10:47 am)

Was this person working for a company that provides this kind of care? If so does the company have any liability? Seems care givers can’t purchase insurance againt this kind of claim. A sad story, seems if one helps one has accept the fact it is an act of bravery.
I hope the caregiver did not do this.