Timbers Of Shorewood Arrest: Caretaker Accused Of Exploiting Resident

SHOREWOOD, IL — For the second time since 2023, a Shorewood Police Department investigation at the Timbers of Shorewood on North River Road has resulted in criminal charges. On Monday afternoon, Shorewood police arrested 54-year-old Marlyn Villalobos, formerly of Orland Park, and booked her into the Will County Jail on Monday.

Shorewood police said Villalobos is charged with financial exploitation of the elderly, residential burglary, burglary, theft and obstructing a peace officer. According to police, Villalobos removed clothing, money and jewelry from a patient’s room at The Timbers and fled inside a bathroom. Officers made contact with Villalobos and placed her under arrest, and she was taken to the Will County Jail, where she remained in custody as of Tuesday afternoon.

Deputy Police Chief Jason Barten told Patch that Villalobos was not an employee of Timbers, rather, she was a contracted caregiver. He also said she was not the normal caregiver assigned to the victim. Barten said that the Timbers of Shorewood staff notified the Shorewood Police Department to launch a criminal investigation after the facility began to suspect that Villalobos might be stealing from one of their retirement community residents.

Separately, Shorewood Police Chief Phil Arnold issued a news release on Tuesday afternoon revealing new information.

According to the chief, at 1:40 pm. Monday, Shorewood Police responded to 1100 North River Road to escort a caregiver from the assisted living facility. Before the officer’s arrival, police were advised that the caregiver had potentially stolen items from an elderly resident and had now confined herself to the facility’s bathroom in an attempt to evade the police and dispose of stolen property.

Arnold said as officers arrived, they were escorted to the facility’s women’s bathroom, where they found 54-year-old Maryln C. Villalobos trying to flush stolen items down the toilet — specifically jewelry from the 90-year-old resident of the care facility.

Shorewood Police placed Villalobos under arrest after some of the items recovered from the toilet were identified by the victim and facility staff.

After being taken to the Shorewood Police Department for booking, Villalobos requested on multiple occasions to use the bathroom. After the bathroom was inspected and searched before being used, Villalobos tried to flush more stolen proceeds, this time cash, down the toilet, the chief noted.

He said the cash was recovered, and the victim later determined that the funds were taken by Villalobos.

Villalobos was taken to the Will County Jail and is facing a pre-trial release hearing in compliance with the Illinois SAFE-T Act. Although the jail listed Villalobos as an Orland Park resident, the Shorewood police listed her as living just down the road from Timbers of Shorewood, in the 1100 block of Harvest Drive.

Back in May 2023, Joliet Patch broke the news surrounding a 49-year-old ex-employee of Timbers of Shorewood who was charged with two counts of felony theft in connection with allegations that Christine A. Brown stole more than $100,000 from the Shorewood assisted living facility at 1100 River Road. According to the bill of indictment, Brown stole money from her employee between April 30, 2021, and Aug. 19, 2022. One of her charges indicates the value of the stolen property exceeded $100,000 but did not exceed $500,000. Brown had been terminated from Timbers of Shorewood before the grand jury indictment was filed.

Brown's case remains ongoing at the Will County Courthouse. In 2023, Patch reported that Timbers of Shorewood on Black Road had about 70 employees, and it provided care to about 175 residents.