Special2bme
May 22nd, 2009, 08:07 PM
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Edward Caldwell
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Mabel A. Pugliese
When Edward Lee Caldwell was in prison, he began corresponding with an 82-year-old Lakeland woman and convinced her to let him move into her home after he was released, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
Caldwell, 35, learned of Mabel Pugliese through her two grandsons, who were doing hard time with Caldwell, investigators say. When he became a free man in October 2007, he moved in with Pugliese and her daughter, Cathie Cameron, at their home at 7993 Oak Run Circle.
In time, Pugliese treated Caldwell as a grandson, although there was no blood relation.
She gave Caldwell access to her bank accounts, named him in her will and granted him power of attorney, detectives say. Nine months later, Caldwell had taken more than $173,000 from the woman he had called his "Nana," the sheriff's office said.
Then Pugliese disappeared.
Caldwell told his girlfriend that he put her in a nursing home. He later told authorities Pugliese, who has sundowner's syndrome, moved with friends to Connecticut.
No one has seen her since July. Authorities fear the worst.
"We don't know where Mabel Pugliese is or the manner of death," Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Caldwell, accused of defrauding Pugliese, was also charged Thursday with negligent manslaughter and aggravated neglect of an elderly disabled adult in connection to the woman's disappearance.
He was also charged with neglect of an elderly person, exploitation of an elderly person and grand theft, among other charges. He was originally arrested in December on drug charges and has been held without bail at Polk County Jail while detectives investigated Pugliese's whereabouts, the sheriff's office said.
Cameron said that she tried to convince her mother that she was being taken advantage of.
"He definitely was using her from the very beginning," Cameron said. "I think he did something to her. I don't know what."
Cameron said Caldwell began looking at her as a threat when she kept telling Pugliese not to spend money.
"My mother's always been a really frugal kind of person," Cameron said. "He saw that I was getting upset with my mom and telling her not to do that. I became an enemy of his almost immediately."
Investigators and arrest reports give this account of what happened since Caldwell, who was in prison for a sex offense, moved in to Pugliese's Lakeland home:
A few weeks after Caldwell moved in, Cameron was accused of abusing Pugliese. The elderly woman fell and broke her hip, but told investigators she didn't know who pushed her because her back was turned.
Cameron denied pushing her mother and moved out in December 2007 after Pugliese files a domestic violence injunction against her. About a week after Cameron left, Pugliese bought Caldwell a truck with a personalized plate of "GL0CK40." Caldwell also used the bank account he shared with Pugliese, along with more than $3,400 in her Social Security benefits, to open and pay rent for a tattoo shop.
During this time, Caldwell told various state agencies — including the Department of Children and Families — that he was Pugliese's caregiver.
Shortly before Pugliese disappeared, Caldwell's girlfriend, Karen Sanders, moved into the house on Oak Run Circle. A few days later, Pugliese was not at the house and Sanders asked Caldwell where she was. Caldwell said that he put Pugliese in a nursing home.
In September, Caldwell put trash bags containing Pugliese's possessions out on the curb. Her walker was also put on the trash pile. On Sept. 10, Caldwell put the house up for sale. The home has since been in foreclosure.
When investigators searched the house, there was "absolutely no indication that an elderly lady lived in that residence," Judd said. "It looked like a bachelor's pad."
Most of the money that was taken from Pugliese has been spent, Judd said. Investigators continue to search for her.
"We need to know where Mabel is," Judd said. "We must return Mabel to her family."http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/may/21/212232/ex-con-charged-disappearance-lakeland-woman/news-breaking/
Edward Caldwell
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/Special2bme/1830_121008pugliesemugshot-and-caro.jpg
Mabel A. Pugliese
When Edward Lee Caldwell was in prison, he began corresponding with an 82-year-old Lakeland woman and convinced her to let him move into her home after he was released, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
Caldwell, 35, learned of Mabel Pugliese through her two grandsons, who were doing hard time with Caldwell, investigators say. When he became a free man in October 2007, he moved in with Pugliese and her daughter, Cathie Cameron, at their home at 7993 Oak Run Circle.
In time, Pugliese treated Caldwell as a grandson, although there was no blood relation.
She gave Caldwell access to her bank accounts, named him in her will and granted him power of attorney, detectives say. Nine months later, Caldwell had taken more than $173,000 from the woman he had called his "Nana," the sheriff's office said.
Then Pugliese disappeared.
Caldwell told his girlfriend that he put her in a nursing home. He later told authorities Pugliese, who has sundowner's syndrome, moved with friends to Connecticut.
No one has seen her since July. Authorities fear the worst.
"We don't know where Mabel Pugliese is or the manner of death," Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Caldwell, accused of defrauding Pugliese, was also charged Thursday with negligent manslaughter and aggravated neglect of an elderly disabled adult in connection to the woman's disappearance.
He was also charged with neglect of an elderly person, exploitation of an elderly person and grand theft, among other charges. He was originally arrested in December on drug charges and has been held without bail at Polk County Jail while detectives investigated Pugliese's whereabouts, the sheriff's office said.
Cameron said that she tried to convince her mother that she was being taken advantage of.
"He definitely was using her from the very beginning," Cameron said. "I think he did something to her. I don't know what."
Cameron said Caldwell began looking at her as a threat when she kept telling Pugliese not to spend money.
"My mother's always been a really frugal kind of person," Cameron said. "He saw that I was getting upset with my mom and telling her not to do that. I became an enemy of his almost immediately."
Investigators and arrest reports give this account of what happened since Caldwell, who was in prison for a sex offense, moved in to Pugliese's Lakeland home:
A few weeks after Caldwell moved in, Cameron was accused of abusing Pugliese. The elderly woman fell and broke her hip, but told investigators she didn't know who pushed her because her back was turned.
Cameron denied pushing her mother and moved out in December 2007 after Pugliese files a domestic violence injunction against her. About a week after Cameron left, Pugliese bought Caldwell a truck with a personalized plate of "GL0CK40." Caldwell also used the bank account he shared with Pugliese, along with more than $3,400 in her Social Security benefits, to open and pay rent for a tattoo shop.
During this time, Caldwell told various state agencies — including the Department of Children and Families — that he was Pugliese's caregiver.
Shortly before Pugliese disappeared, Caldwell's girlfriend, Karen Sanders, moved into the house on Oak Run Circle. A few days later, Pugliese was not at the house and Sanders asked Caldwell where she was. Caldwell said that he put Pugliese in a nursing home.
In September, Caldwell put trash bags containing Pugliese's possessions out on the curb. Her walker was also put on the trash pile. On Sept. 10, Caldwell put the house up for sale. The home has since been in foreclosure.
When investigators searched the house, there was "absolutely no indication that an elderly lady lived in that residence," Judd said. "It looked like a bachelor's pad."
Most of the money that was taken from Pugliese has been spent, Judd said. Investigators continue to search for her.
"We need to know where Mabel is," Judd said. "We must return Mabel to her family."http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/may/21/212232/ex-con-charged-disappearance-lakeland-woman/news-breaking/