33-year-old Natrea Santiago of Hilo was arrested and charged with multiple financial crimes after an investigation revealed more than $10,000 in unauthorized charges to the credit card of a 92-year-old man.
On Monday, police arrested Santiago on the strength of an arrest warrant.
The investigation began in December 2025 after a family member discovered numerous unauthorized online charges on the elderly victim’s credit card account. The charges continued even after the card was replaced.
Investigators determined that Santiago, who had been hired through a business to provide caregiver services for the victim, had access to the victim’s credit card and used it without authorization. The total amount of unauthorized charges exceeded $10,000. The business cooperated with investigators throughout the case.
Following consultation with the Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Santiago was charged with the following offenses:
- First-degree theft
- First-degree identity theft
- Unauthorized possession of personal confidential information
- Fraudulent use of a credit card
Her bail was set at $70,000.
Under Hawai‘i Revised Statutes §708-830.5, first-degree theft includes theft of property from a person 60 years of age or older when the offender knows or reasonably should know the victim’s age. Offenses involving elderly victims are treated with increased seriousness due to their vulnerability.
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