Man accused of stealing thousands from 96-year-old Volusia County woman

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A suspect accused of stealing thousands of dollars from an elderly Volusia County woman to buy a car is behind bars.

Deputies said the 96-year-old victim fell for a phone scam.

Deputies said Samara McCastler, 35, called the victim pretending to be a bank employee and told her to leave her debit card in the mailbox because she would be receiving a new one.

Within days, investigators said the suspect stole more than $17,000.

The incident report said McCastler visited ATMs and Walmart stores to withdraw money, purchase money orders and even make a $12,000 payment on a Lexus.

The victim’s caretaker noticed the missing money.

The sheriff's office was able to track the transactions and used surveillance video to identify the suspect.

It’s not clear how the victim was targeted.

Cox Media Group