Woman facing charges in animal cruelty case twice convicted for defrauding home care clients

A Winnipeg woman facing a slew of charges in connection with what city police called a "very, very horrible" case of animal cruelty was also twice convicted of fraud under $5,000 while working as a home care worker, court records show. 

Chad Kabecz, 40, and Irene Lima, 55, were arrested on Oct. 9, after police executed a search warrant at a home in Winnipeg's Lord Roberts area, and charged with numerous offences, including killing or injuring animals and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, Winnipeg police said earlier this month. 

Irene Lima was sentenced to one year of house arrest in 2014 after she admitted to forging cheques she had stolen from a 92-year-old woman she was providing home care services for, according to audio recordings of the provincial court proceedings.

Court heard at the time Lima was working for Realcare Inc. and was hired to provide home care services for the woman. 

Lima wrote seven cheques to herself using the woman's chequebook without her knowledge, court heard.

Lima was confronted by her employer at the time and claimed the cheques were gifts, after which she was told she wasn't allowed to take gifts, court heard. 

Lima pleaded guilty to fraud under $5,000, with an amount of $4,900 having been stolen.

"I can't imagine what would have possessed you to decide that what you're going to do today is to start stealing from a 92-year-old client," provincial court Judge Carena Roller said at the time.

"There is no one more vulnerable than a 92-year old-woman who is thousands of miles away from her immediate family."

Roller also said "people who take advantage of the vulnerable are particularly repugnant." 

'It's just so heartbreaking'

Lima appeared in court again in 2018, where she pleaded guilty to defrauding a 78-year-old woman with dementia while working for a company called VIP Home Care Inc. 

Court heard Lima was the woman's home care worker from November 2015 to October 2016  and attended her residence on a daily basis for about 40-45 hours a week. 

The daughter of the victim noticed her mother's credit card had a balance in excess of $2,000 and knew her mother wasn't in a position to make those transactions, according to court records. 

Court heard the woman's daughter confronted Lima, who admitted she was using the card to make fraudulent purchases. Lima racked up more than $2,000 in personal purchases on the woman's credit card, according to court records.

Lima received a two-year conditional sentence. 

When reached by CBC News last week, the woman's daughter said news of Lima's arrest earlier this month has "brought up a lot of stress" for her as she recovers from radiation.

CBC is not naming her because she fears repercussions from the accused. 

The woman said she had been trying to stay stress-free as she recovers, but everyone she knows has been "sending articles on Irene [Lima] because they all know what she did to my mom." 

The woman also said she was angry Lima didn't receive a more harsh punishment for what she did to her mother. 

"It's just so heartbreaking," she said. 

At a hearing last week, Kabecz was released on bail with conditions that require him to stay with family, and have no contact with Lima or with any animals. He's also not allowed to access the Internet. He's due back in court early next month. 

Lima was also in court last week, but she remains in custody as her case was remanded and is being rescheduled.

None of the charges against either Kabecz or Lima in connection with the animal cruelty case have been proven in court.