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Police: Mother, daughter caregivers use dead patient's credit card

Posted at 3:15 PM, Jan 31, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-31 16:15:24-05

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A mother and daughter working as caregivers racked up $10,000 in charges on a patient's credit card after he died.

Scottsdale police report that on January 24, Jounelle Stefany Palafox, 26, and her mother Ruth Palafox-Murillas, 48, were arrested in separate locations in Phoenix.

The two women worked as caregivers for a company called Homewatch. Police say the mother-daughter duo were responsible for caring for a man in Scottsdale.

Their patient died on November 28, but his daughter received notifications that his credit card was still being used "multiple times a day for large amounts of money."

The card had more than $10,000 in charges on it from Macy's, Kohl's, Target and Wal-Mart.

Investigators received receipts and video surveillance from the stores allegedly showing the pair making purchases of toys, jewelry, high-end perfume and makeup.

Police believe this is not the first time Palafox-Murillas has stolen from clients.

Palafox and Oalafox-Murillas have been charged with theft and fraud.

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