Police still investigating theft from elderly
Published 10:53 pm Thursday, June 21, 2012
The Selma Police Department is continuing an investigation into an alleged attempt last week to swindle an elderly woman of her car and home. Detectives began investigating the case after the victim, who is in her 80s, came to the police station last week with concerns that her vehicle had been stolen. What the elderly victim did not know was that her house had apparently been swindled, too.
During the investigation, the alleged victim claimed she gave her vehicle to Dorita Lynn West, 44, for safekeeping.
“After a period of time the victim asked when they could get back the vehicle and West repeatedly used stall tactics and did not give back the vehicle,” Selma Police Chief William Riley said.
As part of the investigation, the elderly victim was able to provide proof to police that she owned the car outright, and that West had allegedly sold the car for approximately $2,500. The person who bought the car had no idea the vehicle was stolen. Detectives were able to locate the car and return it to the victim, however they soon made another discovery.
“The story took another twist,” Riley said. “As [the detectives] interviewed the second victim they said they gave West an additional $3,500 for a down payment on house but West didn’t own the house.”
That house was owned by the first victim — leading police to believe West had used information she had obtained in an attempt to swindle the elderly victim of her home.
West was charged with two counts of first-degree theft of property, or swindling, and is still being held in the Dallas County Jail on a $120,000 bond.
“She has had a previous arrest on something similar within the last six months,” Riley said. “We feel that there is still something wrong there and that is why the investigation will continue — we are trying to look into anything else unknown to us that she may have done that may be of the same nature.”
Riley said he does not want anyone preying on senior citizens because they can be so vulnerable.
“We frown on people taking advantage of elderly, this is unacceptable. We all hope that our grandparents in their later years will have comfortable lives and there are unfortunately people out there that will prey on them,” Riley said.
The Selma Police Department is asking that anyone who had a similar experience with West to contact Crimestoppers at 866-44-CRIME (442-7463).