Phoenix woman accused of stealing from hospice care patients

AZ caregiver accused of stealing from patients

Police say a woman who was hired as a caregiver for hospice patients has been arrested and accused of stealing from the patients, and then pawn the items for money.

PHOENIX - A woman has been arrested in Phoenix, according to investigators, for allegedly taking jewelry from the homes of people in hospice care.

What we know:

Court documents identified the suspect as 40-year-old Latisha Amina Ladell. She was arrested on Jan. 8.

Big picture view:

Police say Ladell was hired as a caregiver for hospice patients, and she was at a Phoenix home to provide care services on July 26, 2025 when she allegedly took jewelry from a dresser drawer.

"While [Ladell] was in the bedroom with the patient, a family member walked in and found [Ladell] going through a dresser drawer while holding jewelry in her hand," investigators wrote in court documents. "[Ladell] commented, 'it's nice to look at the things of the people you love before you lose them.'"

After that, detectives say Ladell was told to leave the home, and police were later notified. The jewelry is estimated to be $10,000 in value.

Dig deeper:

"A records check of [Ladell] revealed she [had] sold approximately 130 items to a pawn shop between [May 22, 2024]-[Sept. 5, 2025]," read a portion of the court documents. "All items were jewelry, with the exception of a few firearms."

Investigators said Ladell, who was fired on Aug. 1, 2025, had access to multiple patients. The investigation also revealed that Ladell sold jewelry to a pawn shop in Phoenix on July 26 and 28, 2025.

What they're saying:

Police said during a post-Miranda interview with Ladell, she admitted to caring for a patient at his private home when she found a ring on the bathroom floor and a ring in a box that was located in the closet. Both were taken and subsequently sold at the pawn shop.

"[Ladell] explained she needed money, and has a Percocet addiction," read a portion of the court documents.

What's next:

Ladell, per investigators, is accused of one count of theft, two counts of trafficking stolen property, and a count of possessing narcotic drugs.

Latisha Amina Ladell (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)

A judge has ordered Ladell be released on her own recognizance. According to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute, this means a person is released, pending trial, without having to post bail.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for January 27.