Woman Made Over $10K In Purchases With Stolen Credit Card: Darien PD

DARIEN, CT — A 65-year-old woman is accused of stealing a credit card from a resident at a senior living facility in Darien and then racking up purchases totaling over $10,000 in multiple states, according to police.

Patricia Howard, of Tuckahoe, N.Y., was recently detained as a fugitive of justice in New York, Darien Police said in an arrest report.

After waving extradition, Howard was taken to Darien Police headquarters on May 21 where she was arrested and charged with first-degree identity theft and second-degree larceny, both felonies, and illegal taking of a payment card and less than $500 on a revoked payment card, which are misdemeanors.

On Jan. 2, officers received a report about the theft of a wallet, which contained an American Express credit card, from The Residence at Selleck's Woods in Darien, police said.

The victim reported unauthorized charges totaling over $10,000 across multiple states, including New York and Colorado, police noted.

After an "extensive investigation," Howard was identified as a suspect and linked to the theft and purchases by surveillance footage, license plate reader data and credit card transaction records, police said.

Police did not specify in the arrest report how Howard was able to get access to the resident's wallet.

According to the CT Judicial Branch website, Howard remains in custody on a $50,000 bond. Her arrest report notes a scheduled court date of June 9.