SALT LAKE CITY — A family said someone took $1,000 from a 92-year-old loved one's account, and they believed the matter stemmed from the theft of a wallet at a Utah hospital.
Richard Hutchens said on Saturday night his 92-year-old mother, Eva Burch, experienced vertigo, a very low heart rate and couldn't move, and she was transported by ambulance to St. Mark's Hospital, 1200 E. 3900 South.
According to Hutchens, Burch's husband placed her wallet inside a white bag for personal belongings during her hospital stay on Sunday.
On Tuesday, in the hours after Burch's discharge, family members said she discovered the wallet was missing from the bag along with her debit and credit cards.
"We don't exactly know when this occurred, but it definitely occurred while she was in the hospital," Hutchens said.
He said the couple reported the wallet and cards missing, but not before the suspect was able to make two withdrawals from her debit card of $500 each.
"They took her billfold, and they took it with the intention of clearing out her checking account," Hutchens said.
KSL obtained surveillance images. Unified police have asked for those images not to be used as they investigate the matter further.
A spokesperson for the department said a detective was looking into the case after the theft was reported to police on Tuesday night.
A spokesperson for St. Mark's Hospital said the hospital is cooperating with the law enforcement investigation.
The family said they were hoping the hospital might hold additional clues.
"I would imagine they have cameras in the halls to where you could see who was going in and out of there," Hutchens said. "You might have a good way of narrowing down who did do it."
