LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. (WSVN) — A woman accused and drugging and mugging an elderly man of over $72,000 worth of valuables in Lighthouse Point has been arrested and charged.
According to Lighthouse Point Police, 26-year-old Witney Tolbert was arrested Wednesday, after investigators found enough evidence to arrest her for committing larceny, poisoning and robbery on a 73-year-old man back in May of 2016.
Tolbert appeared in bond court Thursday morning on charges of larceny worth $50,000 from a person 65 years of age or older, poisoning food or water with intentions of killing or injuring, and robbery without a firearm or weapon.
Her combined bond on these charges is $165,000.
According to the arrest report, Tolbert arrived at the victim’s home with a bottle of red wine, at around 10 p.m. Shortly after drinking small sips, the victim became overwhelmingly drowsy and lethargic.
At around 12 a.m., the victim and Tolbert went to a bedroom to lie down. That’s when the victim stated he passed out and did not wake up until 11 a.m., the next morning.
When he woke up the next day, he had slurred speech, loss of orientation, uncoordinated movements, nausea and extreme drowsiness. That’s when he suspected that he had been drugged by Tolbert.
Once he came to this realization, Tolbert was long gone from the victim’s home, along with approximately $72,000 worth of the victim’s jewelry, electronics and valuable pieces of luggage.
Also noticeably missing was the glass from which the victim had consumed the wine.
Tolbert was eventually identified after she was recorded entering and exiting the victim’s house in the surveillance video. According to the victim, he and Tolbert know each other but have no relationship to one another.
A blood sample collected from the victim tested positive for alprazolam, also known as Xanax, which the victim stated he had never taken or been prescribed. A powdery substance found on the floor was also identified as alprazolam, which is a schedule 4 controlled substance.
During the course of the investigation, Tolbert allegedly became fearful and hired an attorney to return $29,600 worth of the victim’s property. Within a week, an additional $11,000 was returned in a cash payment.
According to officials, she then verbally told the victim that the remaining $31,000 would not be returned since she had sold it to a third party and it could not be recovered. The item she had sold worth $31,000 was a Rolex watch.
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