Police: Florida ‘Grinch’ Housekeeper Assaults, Robs Elderly Woman for Denying Christmas Bonus

A Florida housekeeper is accused of attacking and robbing her elderly client on Christmas Eve after her demand for a $500 bonus was denied, prompting local police to call her the “Grinch Who Tried To Steal Christmas.”

Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) arrested Heather Nelson, 29, last week after an 83-year-old woman reported that she was “physically assaulted and robbed” by the house cleaner after telling her that she could not afford to give her a bonus, authorities announced on social media:

“When the victim announced that she didn’t have enough money to give her a bonus, Nelson responded by physically wrenching the victim’s checkbook from her hand, stealing a check from the checkbook, and then, I guess in an effort to ruin other people’s Christmas as well, stole Christmas cards that were set to be mailed out also containing checks!!” Sheriff Wayne Ivey wrote on Facebook.

Sheriff Ivey continued angrily, “Damn Grinch, you went too far!! I guess committing battery and almost breaking the wrist of the elderly victim wasn’t bad enough so you decide to steal all her money and take Christmas gifts that were meant for others away as well!!  What’s next … kick her dog?”

Upon further investigation, Agent Kevin Sherrill from the sheriff’s office found that Nelson had also allegedly written a stolen check for $1,400 and used the victim’s credit card to pay her rent and a “number of other purchases.”

Brevard authorities then obtained a warrant for Nelson for robbery by sudden snatching, aggravated battery on a person over 65, forgery, uttering a forged instrument, criminal use of personal identification, fraudulent use of a credit card, and grand theft.

“Of course knowing that the Grinch Who Tried To Steal Christmas from an 83 year old was about to be arrested by our team, I decided to go out with them on the arrest as I wanted to see exactly what the Grinch looked like in person,” Ivey continued. “And even better, when Nelson saw me on-scene as she was being arrested, she asked Agent Sherrill why he had to bring me as I was going to blast her all over Facebook and make her look bad!!”

The sheriff added that she will receive her “bonus” in jail — “a keepsake booking photo, a slightly used pair of shower slides, and unlimited access to our world famous one star dining facility where you can enjoy absolutely nothing you eat!!”

Nelson was booked into jail on a $30,000 bond before being released on Thursday, according to Fox News.

Nelson was a trusted employee of the elderly victim, BCSO public information officer Tod Goodyear told Fox 35 Orlando.

“The elderly are scammed, they are taken advantage of by other people a lot of times because they have some diminished capacity, or they’re very trusting,” Goodyear said. “They grew up in a time when people trusted each other.”