- Kaleb Bryce Tilton, 23, was arrested for stealing a wallet from a 92-year-old.
- Surveillance images helped identify Tilton, a hospital worker, as the suspect.
- Unified Police commended the family's and hospital's cooperation in the investigation.
SALT LAKE COUNTY — Police said a hospital worker was arrested Friday in connection with the theft of a wallet and cards from a 92-year-old woman who had been receiving medical care at St. Mark's Hospital.
23-year-old Kaleb Bryce Tilton was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Friday on suspicion of theft, unlawful acquisition/possession/transfer of a financial card, unlawful possession of an ID of another, and unlawful use of a financial card.
Family members reached out to KSL on Wednesday about the theft in hopes of catalyzing the investigation surrounding 92-year-old Eva Burch's wallet.
Burch's son, Richard Hutchens, said his mother had been transported by ambulance Saturday night to the emergency room, and she was in the hospital Sunday when her husband recalled placing her wallet inside a white hospital belongings bag.
After Burch was discharged on Tuesday, Hutchens said the couple discovered the wallet and cards were missing, and a debit card had been accessed twice to withdraw a total of $1,000.
"I mean, I don't know what else you could call it but theft," Hutchens said during a Wednesday interview. "They took her billfold, and they took it with the intention of clearing out her checking account."
The family obtained surveillance images from the credit union ATM where Burch's card was used and shared them with KSL.
In the photos, the suspect appeared masked and was driving a blue Nissan Versa without a license plate on the back of it.
Police requested that KSL not use the images during a story that aired Thursday as they actively investigated the matter, and on Saturday, a spokesperson said the photos proved useful.
"There were some identifying marks or characteristics to that vehicle," Unified Police Sgt. Aymee Race said. "The steering column had rhinestones on it and that stood out to us, and then, well, the person was wearing a mask, but you could see long, curly hair behind it, too."
Race said detectives took what they knew to St. Mark's Hospital and the security staff there.
"They were able to let us review the footage with the detectives and see an individual matching that description going in and out of the victim's room, as well as identifying the vehicle in some of the footage out in the parking lot."
According to detectives in the jail's probable cause statement, Tilton "was one of the patient's medical staff and had multiple interactions with them on the date of this theft."
Police said they went to Tilton's residence on Friday and arrested him.
"Post Miranda, (Tilton) admitted to all the facts of this case as detailed above," detectives wrote in the jail documents. "The AP had the victim's wallet in possession at the residence with their personal identification documents."
A hospital spokesperson said she could not comment Saturday on Tilton's employment status but provided a statement about the incident.
"We are grateful to the Unified Police Department for their quick and thorough investigation, and to our security staff for assisting law enforcement in bringing this situation to a resolution," the statement read. "We are committed to creating a safe environment for our patients, visitors and colleagues, and will continue to cooperate so that the individual responsible is held accountable."
Race commended the family, credit union and hospital for their actions.
"There were so many great moving pieces in this—the family being able to get the footage early on from the credit union, as well as St. Mark's saying they were willing to be completely cooperative with the investigation," Race said. "Yes, (it was) great detective work and ultimately what it comes down to is the victim and their family have a resolution on this and we have a person in custody for the crimes they committed."
