Hilo caregiver charged in alleged $10,000 elder credit card theft

Hawaii Island police arrested a 33-year-old Hilo caregiver on April 20 in a case that investigators say left a 92-year-old man with more than $10,000 in unauthorized credit card charges. Police said the spending continued even after the card was replaced, a detail that underscores how quickly elder financial abuse can escalate when someone trusted has access to accounts.

Natrea Santiago was taken into custody on an arrest warrant after an investigation that began in December 2025, when a family member discovered numerous unauthorized online charges on the elderly man’s credit card account. Investigators said Santiago had been hired through a business to provide caregiver services and had access to the card. The business cooperated with police, according to Hawaii Police Department officials.

The Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney charged Santiago with first-degree theft, first-degree identity theft, unauthorized possession of personal confidential information and fraudulent use of a credit card. Bail was set at $70,000. Under Hawaii law, first-degree theft covers theft from a person 60 or older when the offender knows or reasonably should know the victim’s age, a standard that makes crimes against kūpuna especially serious in court.

Captain Rio Amon-Wilkins said cases like this often hinge on trust. “Oftentimes, our elderly are taken advantage of by people they trust,” he said, adding that police treat those cases very seriously because kūpuna are vulnerable.

For families, the warning signs in this case are plain: unexplained online purchases, account activity that does not match the victim’s routine and charges that continue after a replacement card is issued. Those are the kinds of red flags that can signal a caregiver, or someone else with access, is misusing a card or account before the losses grow larger.

The case also comes as state and county agencies continue to stress elder-financial safety. The Hawaii Department of Human Services’ Adult Protective and Community Services Branch investigates reports of vulnerable adults who are abused, neglected or financially exploited, and Hawaii County maintains elder-abuse resources through the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. As Hawaii’s aging population grows, officials and advocates say the risk to kūpuna is rising along with it.