A CAREGIVER who was arrested on Saipan after she fled from California where she was charged for stealing checks and credit cards from an 87-year-old woman will be extradited this week.
Juliet Kuroda Cross, 42, told the Superior Court that she would not contest the request to extradite her to California and that she was waiving any further formal extradition requirements.
Cross was taken before Superior Court Associate Judge Virginia Sablan-Onerheim for a review hearing on Friday. The judge denied the defendant’s motion to modify the “no bail” order against her.
Court records showed that Cross was charged in San Diego with caretaker theft from elder/dependent adult, grand theft using access card/account information, sells/transfers access card, four counts of forgery of checks, and five counts of burglary.
The defendant was arraigned on the charges in Nov. 2001. The preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 13, 2001, but she failed to appear for the preliminary hearing, prompting the court to issue a bench warrant against her.
California authorities learned that Cross had fled to the CNMI. The FBI then notified its agents on Saipan about the case.
Police Lt. Edward Manalili arrested Cross in Koblerville last May 16.
Manalili found out from immigration records that Cross entered Saipan on Jan. 18, 2002 and she did not depart.
According to papers filed in California, the defendant stole checks and credit cards belonging to 87-year-old Margaret Phelps between May 2000 and Nov. 2000.
Cross, who was employed by Attentive Home Care as caregiver for Phelps, forged the victim’s signature on checks and credit card slips in the amount of over $31,000.
Phelps is now dead, court papers said.
