Caretaker sent to jail for stealing from elderly woman

A Cary woman was sentenced to two months in jail, and could face four more, after pleading guilty Tuesday to allegations she stole more than $27,000 from an elderly woman she was hired to look after.

Heather A. Derer, 34, admitted guilt to a felony theft charge under a plea bargain in which she also will serve two years' probation and pay about $27,232 restitution to the victim.

If Derer violates the law while on probation and fails to pay the restitution on schedule, she will have to serve the additional four months in the McHenry County Jail, under the terms of her deal with prosecutors.

Derer declined comment Tuesday, but her attorney said she is eager to repay the victim.

"She wants to put this behind her and put things right," Senior Assistant Public Defender Richard Behof said.

The charge stemmed from claims Derer took advantage of an Island Lake woman she worked for as a live-in caretaker in 2006. Island Lake police said that over a period of about three months that year, Derer wrote herself checks on the victim's bank accounts and redirected bill payments to herself.

Her boyfriend at the time, Nicholas C. Wetzel, 36, of Island Lake also faces a theft charge, alleging he participated in the effort to defraud the woman. Wetzel is scheduled to be in court on the Class 2 felony charge June 17.