Hearing Set Next Week for Woman Accused of Elder Theft in Healdsburg

A hearing is set for next week for a woman arrested on suspicion of stealing and cashing almost $6,000 worth of checks from an elderly Healdsburg resident.

Lillian Mbua, taken into custody by Healdsburg Police on suspicion of two felony counts of elder fraud, pleaded not guiity on Dec. 18, even though

Sonoma County District Attorney spokeswoman Terry Menshek said Friday that Mbua is scheduled for a hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 11, in Sonoma County Superior Court, Dept. 13, to set a trial date.

"They were not able to settle the plea deal," Menshek said.

Mbua, a former nursing assistant at Healdsburg Senior Living residential care facility, was taken into custody Nov. 16 by Healdsburg Sgt. Nick Castaneda.

That was after the facility had told police a Wells Fargo bank branch in August had declined Mbua's request to cash a check for one of their residents -- an 86-year-old man.

Mbua was fired by the facility and then disappeared, according to Castaneda. She was located several months later by Castaneda after a intense fugitive search, he said.

During his investigation, Castaneda said, he allegedly uncovered surveillance video images of Mbua cashing checks in banks throughout Sonoma County and Vallejo.

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