Heather Nelson, 29, has been arrested and is facing charges including robbery, aggravated battery, forgery, fraud, and grand theft after attacking her 83-year-old employer on Christmas Eve
A 29-year-old housekeeper from Florida is accused of robbing and assaulting her 83-year-old employer on Christmas Eve after the elderly woman said she couldn’t afford to give her a holiday bonus.
Heather Nelson, 29, is now facing multiple charges, including robbery, aggravated battery, forgery, fraud, and grand theft, as per the Brevard County Clerk of the Court.
On Christmas Eve, Nelson physically assaulted the elderly woman, leaving her with a swollen wrist after her demands for a substantial Christmas bonus were refused, according to Tod Goodyear, the public information officer of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). Nelson then forcibly took the woman’s checkbook from her hand.
Police photos show the elderly woman’s swollen wrist injury (
Image:
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Florida/Facebook)
“She actually took the check by force, [she] took some Christmas cards that had money in them, took some debit and credit cards, left the residence, forged some signatures and attempted to take quite a bit of money from this woman,” Goodyear explained.
Nelson was arrested nearly two weeks after the initial incident, a delay attributed to the time needed to trace her alleged financial wrongdoings. Deputies followed the money trail after the allegedly forged check cleared and credit card transactions posted, leading to Nelson’s arrest on Jan. 7, Law and Crime reported.
Heather Nelson was arrested in Florida after she robbed and assaulted the 83-year-old boss after she was denied a Christmas bonus (
Image:
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Florida/Facebook)
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office released a detailed post about “arresting the real Grinch that tried to steal Christmas,” and listed a series of ‘gifts’ they had prepared for Nelson.
“Since you were so worried about getting your bonus, we had some extra gifts for you like a keepsake booking photo, a slightly used pair of shower slides, and unlimited access to our world famous one star dining facility where you can enjoy absolutely nothing you eat!!” wrote Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
He concluded the post by saying, “Another great job by Agent Sherrill and our General Crimes Unit as Nelson is now exactly where she belongs…in jail where she can’t bully or victimize another member of our community!!”
The Florida sheriff bragged about busting this ‘grinch’ on Facebook (
Image:
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Florida/Facebook)
Seniors lose at least $2.6 billion annually due to financial abuse, but the total may be higher due to unreported cases, according to the Nursing Home Abuse Center.
Elsewhere on Christmas in Florida, a ‘Bad Santa’ was arrested for allegedly stalking and harassing his neighbor. Neil Champagne, 51, was detained by police while wearing a Father Christmas outfit in Palatka, Florida, on December 24. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said it was called out just before 9pm by a homeowner who claimed a man had been harassing him.
The victim, who has not been named, accused Champagne of writing a ‘derogatory’ message on his driveway. This included the word “pedophile” scribbled in chalk, according to Action News Jax. He also accused Champagne of threatening and yelling at him, all while dressed in the red and white Santa suit.
