Nearly half a year after failing to show up to her sentencing hearing, the suspect in a Santa Barbara County elder abuse case was arrested Wednesday in Norwalk, Massachusetts.
Felony fugitive Julie Cromer, 48, pleaded guilty to financial elder abuse charges and didn’t show up to the sentencing on Oct. 23, according to a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department statement.
Cromer apparently posted about her travels on Facebook and local Massachusetts police arrested her at a residence following an investigation by the Sheriff’s Felony Fugitives Unit, sheriff’s department spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.
Cromer pleaded guilty to charges after using a credit card she opened under her own name but linked to the victim’s checking account, Hoover said in a statement.
She had met the 77-year-old victim in 2007, according to the statement, at a pug dog rescue event and began visiting the victim locally.
Cromer claimed to be a struggling photographer, and the victim began to pay for her travel expenses to and from Santa Barbara, according to authorities.
Cromer opened an additional card and used it to pay for airline tickets, retail purchases, restaurants, hotels, and car rentals during travels to Texas, Arizona, and Massachusetts during 2013 and 2015, all using the victim’s checking account, Hoover said.
Cromer was going to be sentenced to 60 days in custody, probation, and paying $10,000 in restitution.
“The amount of theft was believed to be much higher but because the victim unexpectedly passed away before the completion of the case, the additional thefts could not be proven,” according to Hoover.
After extradition back to California, Cromer could face another felony charge for failing to appear at her sentencing.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.