Woman's purse and phone stolen after car accident, two arrested
REDDING, Calif. - Update: This story originally included a picture of Candace Wade, but the Sheriff's Office has contacted authorities and was not arrested.
---
A car accident victim had her purse and phone stolen by three locals, two have been arrested and one is still on the loose.
On September 8, Carole Hardcastle, 67, was involved in a single vehicle traffic collision on Highway 299 near Kern Drive in Bella Vista, California. As a result of the collision, Hardcastle sustained a significant traumatic head injury and was transported to a local area hospital where she remained in an Intensive Care Unit for four days.
While Hardcastle was still at the scene of the crash, one of her family members received a phone call from a female subject calling from Hardcastle's phone. The woman identified herself as a nurse at the scene of the collision and told the family member she would be at the hospital where Hardcastle was admitted.
The woman told the family that she was a nurse and said that she needed Hardcastle's passcode to her cell phone in order to access Hardcastle's medical information. The woman eventually identified herself as Candice Wade and told the family member that she had received Hardcastle's family members.
However, when the family members arrived at the hospital, they eventually determined Wade was not at the location and Hardcastle's purse was missing.
In the days following Hardcastle's admittance to the hospital, family members were notified of fraudulent transactions occurring on Hardcastle's debit card. On September 16, a family member of Hardcastle contacted the Shasta County Sheriff's Office and a criminal investigation was initiated.
During the investigation, Deputy Tim Wiley identified Sherri Perez and William Daniels through surveillance footage.
Deputy Wiley, along with deputies with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office AB-109 team, conducted a probation search of Perez and Daniel's residence. They found direct evidence linking them to fraudulent use of Hardcastle's debit card.
Both Perez and Daniels were arrested without incident and book into Shasta County Jail, but the Shasta County Sheriff's Office is still seeking information regarding whereabouts of Candice Wade.
Anyone with information regarding this case or the whereabouts of Candice Wade, are asked to contact the Sheriff's Office at 530-245-6540.
