A woman hired to care for an elderly, disabled Vietnam veteran is accused of betraying that trust, stealing roughly $30,000 worth of gold jewelry and cash from his home and pawning some of the items, according to Florida deputies.

The case began December 21, when the Port Charlotte man contacted the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office to report that someone had accessed his Winchester gun safe and removed valuable property, including gold jewelry and multiple forms of currency. Investigators quickly learned the victim received assistance through a home health care service.

Detectives identified Irlene Innocent Saint Armand as the caregiver assigned to the veteran. According to authorities, pawn records led them to Saint Armand, who allegedly sold some of the stolen items. When questioned, deputies say she confessed and directed them to additional property that had not yet been pawned.

Saint Armand was later arrested at another client’s home in Englewood. Deputies also executed a search warrant at her residence, where they recovered the remaining stolen items.

Sheriff Bill Prummell condemned the alleged crime in blunt terms, calling it especially egregious because of the victim’s service and condition. He said stealing from a Vietnam veteran who “put his life on the line” and endured the trauma of war was “absolutely disgusting,” adding that the moral debt owed to the victim far outweighed anything taken from the safe.

Saint Armand now faces multiple felony charges, including grand theft from a person 65 or older involving more than $10,000, dealing in stolen property, and exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult involving more than $20,000. Authorities say the investigation underscores the vulnerability of elderly and disabled individuals—and the damage done when those entrusted with care instead take advantage.