WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A West Palm Beach caregiver was arrested Friday after investigators say she quietly drained more than $79,000 from an elderly woman she was hired to help.

Investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office say 27-year-old Marta Cisneros exploited the 79-year-old woman she was caring for, stealing nearly $80,000 between July 2024 and June 2025. Deputies say Cisneros was hired to help with daily living activities, including personal care and transportation, and through that role gained access to the elderly victim’s financial records, bank accounts, credit cards, and mail.

The investigation began in June of 2025 when the victim reported unauthorized transactions on her account to PBSO. Investigators say the victim, who typically paid bills by check, discovered repeated ATM withdrawals and credit card charges she did not recognize and insisted she never used a debit card or made ATM transactions.

When deputies met with the victim, they found that many financial records and statements were missing during the time Cisneros was employed by her.

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According to investigators, American Express had previously flagged suspicious charges and issued a replacement card, but because Cisneros handled the victim’s mail, she would have had access to the new card without her knowledge.

Records revealed $79,041 in fraudulent transactions, including nearly 50 ATM withdrawals—totalling over $30,000 — made over the course of Cisneros’ employment. Surveillance video and witnesses later corroborated that Cisneros was behind the suspicious activity.

Among the purchases and charges flagged as fraudulent were:

Repeated gift card purchases, including $750 at StarbucksHundreds of dollars in food delivery servicesA Los Tigres del Norte concert at the Hard Rock CasinoA Rapids Water Park cabana rentalAirline ticketsA variety of clothing, shoes, and perfume purchasesTraffic ticket finesCar payments

Detectives say they also uncovered dozens of questionable checks, many written directly to Cisneros or cashed by her, along with others linked to her family members.

During a phone interview in December 2025, Cisneros denied the allegations and claimed she only used the victim’s credit card with her permission. She also claimed that the victim had memory issues; however, a review of records revealed that the victim did not have any ongoing problems with memory.

Due to the evidence, deputies found probable cause to book Cisneros for counts of exploiting the elderly $10K to $50K, and using a false identity.