Woman steals Christmas cash from Dallas man in wheelchair

A man in a wheelchair says he was taken advantage of by a woman feeding him lies.

The West Oak Cliff man says she seemed unassuming and sincere when she walked into his home. But by the time she left -- his Christmas cash was gone.

Conover is a diabetic and wheelchair bound, but he doesn't let it hold him back, making a living selling his artwork. He'd sold two paintings just two days before Christmas for $235 and was about to deposit the money in the bank so he could buy gifts for his niece and two nephews when a woman came to his door last Saturday in the 500 block of South Westmoreland.

“She just walked, basically walked in the house. She kind of just made it like it was hers,” Conover said. “She told me she was with St. Joseph Catholic Charities here in Dallas.”

Conover says the woman was friendly and conversational.

“It was someone you would never know for a million years this was the person that was going to take advantage,” Conover said.

She told Conover they had an overflow of Christmas dinners, hams and turkeys they were giving to the handicapped and disabled people for Christmas.

“She called me by name, that's what threw me off,” Conover said, adding that she then asked for a $2 donation. “My billfold was laying here, and I reached over and took my billfold and opened it and took out the five and then laid the billfold back down. That was my biggest mistake right there.”

Conover says the woman kept asking him questions, keeping him distracted, then said her goodbyes and left.

“I keep the five in my hand until she left and then turned around to put it back in the billfold and everything was gone,” Conover said.

Every penny that was supposed to be for his niece and nephews was taken out of his wallet.

“They were pretty heartbroken, the kids, I told them I'd make up for it on their birthdays or something. But it pretty much put a damper on their spirits for the day,” Conover said.

Conover says he believes the money is a lost cause and he's working to forgive the person who took it.

“To take advantage of a vulnerable person on the celebration of Christ's birthday, a religious holiday, and to do it in the name of God. That was probably one of the most offensive things you could do to anyone,” Conover said.

Dallas police did take a report on the incident but have not said if they've made an arrest in the case.