Toronto police arrest 2 for elder abuse, fraud

A husband and wife who allegedly defraudeda 94-year-old woman of her life savings have been arrested by Toronto police.

Norma Marshall says her ordeal began almost four years ago, when she hired a housekeeper.

The housekeeper, identified by police as 32-year-oldVeraNunesof Toronto, became involved in Marshall's day-to-day activitiesand gainedaccess to her banking.

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One day Nunes arrived at the front door with her husband, family and all her possessions. They moved in living in Marshall's den while Marshallwas moved into a smaller room.

A delivery man from alocal pharmacy first noticed something was wrongwhen he went to Marshall's apartment for her weekly delivery and someone else answered the door.

"When I asked the gentleman he said he was the family, but I've never seen Norma's family in the last 10 years," FirozJogiat told reporters at a news conference onWednesday.Marshall's only family is a nephew in Montreal.

Jogiatsaidhe went back the following week and insisted on seeing Marshall.

"She didn't look at me. She was just scared, so I thought something was wrong."

Jogiattalked to the pharmacist,CelinaChan-Ying,who called the police.

But by that time Marshall's possessions, including her furniture andjewelry,had allegedly been sold andher life savings $25,000, she estimates were gone.

She said it was a violation of her trust.

"The life savings is one thing, but what it does to you emotionally is worse," she said."You don't need a lot of money when you get old. You do need people around you."

Nunes and her husband, Louis Serpa Da Conceicao Santos, face multiple charges includingfraud,theft and being unlawfully in a dwelling.

Police believe there may be other victims.