ORLANDO, Fla. — William Denehy is full of baseball stories.
“Well, I signed with the New York Mets in 1964," Denehy said. "I struck out the first batter I ever faced in the big leagues, Johnny Briggs.”
But recently, he had a fastball hurled at him.
The blind Orlando man said he was taken advantage of by Donna Sue Santella, 70, who was hired to care for him, and that she stole nearly $20,000 from him.
Since he's blind, Denehy said he relied on the caregiver three times a week. He also trusted Santella with his financial information.
Later, he claimed he found out he was not only paying her salary but he was also footing the bill for cigarettes and doctor's bills.
Denehy said he is extremely frustrated and feels violated.
"Being blind, you really put all your trust in a person," Denehy said. "She literally was my eyes and my wheels."
Santella was hired through care.com to help Denehy with tasks including getting to doctor appointments and paying bills.
Care.com officials said it does some preliminary screenings but relies on customers to run background checks offered through the site.
An arrest affidavit details purchases made by Santella with Denehy's credit card and even withdrawals from ATMs.
In all, she's accused of stealing $17,000.
“She was going to a wig store. She was going to a nail salon. She was going to Walgreens, Publix," Denehy said.
Just days ago, Santella was arrested. She reportedly told police, "He (Denehy) did not pay for gas" and "she felt she was owed more."
Denehy said he hopes his loss serves as a lesson to others.
Cox Media Group
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