New Haven Firefighter Charged With Stealing $125K From 95-Year-Old Woman

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New Haven firefighter is accused of stealing about $125,000 from a 95-year-old woman he met while responding to a call.

Kenneth Burgos, 41, was arrested at home Monday and charged with first-degree larceny and tampering with a witness, police said.

Authorities say Burgos met the victim, who they've declined to name, five years ago. He gained her trust, took control of her finances and emptied at least two of her bank accounts, police said.

The victim told other firefighters about the issue when they responded to a medical call at her home a few months ago, cops said.

New Haven police spokesman Officer David Hartman said the victim had been too embarrassed to report it because it had been going on for so long.

"What makes this particularly disturbing is that this is a public servant, someone who is trusted by people to provide care," Hartman told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau. "And for someone to take advantage of a woman who was then 90 years old and continue that for five years, it just shakes all of us."

Police say the firefighter believed the woman was an easy target because she was elderly and living alone.

Burgos, a 17-year department veteran, has been placed on paid administrative leave. He has also been removed as the victim's power of attorney.

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