Caregiver charged with stealing thousands in cash, gold from Schaumburg couple

Editor's note: The name of the Cook County assistant state's attorney has been corrected from a previous version.

A Hoffman Estates woman who worked as a home health care aide for a Schaumburg couple was ordered held on house arrest Thursday after prosecutors said she stole money, gold bars and jewelry from them valued at more than $50,000.

Sheila Aleluya, 44, was charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person and theft. If convicted of the most serious charge, she faces up to 12 years in prison. Probation is also an option.

Prosecutors say Aleluya had been working three days a week for the Schaumburg residents, who are both in their 70s, since December, 2016.

Earlier this month, the couple informed the home care agency where Aleluya worked at the time that jewelry, coins and gold bars were missing from the home, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Caitlin Casey. The couple and the agency informed Schaumburg police, who discovered some of the missing items had been pawned at a pawnshop, Gates said. A pawnshop employee provided a copy of an ID that led to Aleluya, Casey said.

According to Casey, Aleluya told police she received between $15,000 and $20,000 for the items and used the money to pay off debts here and in the Philippines as well as medical expenses for a family member.

Cook County Judge Steven J. Goebel set bail at $50,000 and ordered Aleluya confined to her home. He also ordered her to surrender her passport.

Aleluya, who has no criminal background, next appears in court on April 13.