Cop and wife charged in elder abuse case

If ever there was a cautionary tale about neighbours, this is it. An American police commander and his wife befriended their next door neighbour, who is elderly and of diminished mental capacity. The commander and his wife are accused of taking control of the neighbour's estate by putting everything into a trust they control, and by getting her to sign a will leaving everything to the commander. He's in jail now, waiting for his trial.

Please stay in touch with the seniors in your life. You never know who might be taking advantage of them, and you might be able to prevent it. The story doesn't say whether this particular elderly woman has family, but the financial abuse was discovered by an organization that checks in on seniors. Elder financial abuse can be perpetrated by anyone from family members to neighbours, as this story sadly shows. Click here to read the story from the San Francisco Chronicle.