A warrant was issued March 15 for the arrest of a Kenosha woman charged with stealing pain patches from the body of a nursing home patient.
Jacqueline E. Stein, 34, was charged Feb. 22 in Walworth County Circuit Court with theft from a person or corpse and possession of narcotic drugs, both as a repeater.
According to the criminal complaint:
An officer went to Fairhaven Retirement Community in Whitewater on Sept. 11 where staff reported that eight Fentanyl patches were stolen from the body of a patient between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10. Nurses said after the first few pain patches went missing, they began to put the patches on the woman’s back and tape them in place to ensure they weren’t falling off accidentally. They said the patches continued to go missing, and the patient was in a condition that renders her non-communicative and unable to advise who might be taking the patches.
Police spoke to Stein, who admitted taking three of the patches and said she knew the patient was in a lot of pain and was helpless.
Stein was convicted in Kenosha County in 2009 of encouraging probation or parole violations and two counts of obstructing an officer.
