SAN ANTONIO – Police arrested a certified nursing assistant who investigators believe paid for personal items with a debit card that belonged to a 79-year-old resident at a North Side nursing home.
The San Antonio Police Department took Destiny Lashell Houston, 36, into custody Tuesday afternoon on the following charges, which are all considered third-degree felonies:
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Exploitation of an elderly individual
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Abuse of a credit card or debit card belonging to an elderly individual
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Fraudulent use or possession of items belonging to an elderly individual
At the time of the alleged crimes, police said Houston worked directly with the victim as a certified nursing assistant at The Forum at Lincoln Heights, a nursing home located in the 300 block of Nottingham Drive.
‘Numerous purchases’
Authorities said the victim, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2024, moved into the facility’s mental care unit in June 2025. Due to the diagnosis, the victim’s daughter is in charge of her mother’s financial accounts in order to pay bills and monitor expenses, the affidavit states.
In August 2025, the victim’s daughter checked one of the accounts and noticed “numerous purchases” were made with the victim’s debit card over multiple days, according to police. SAPD said one purchase was made at a vending machine inside the nursing home’s employee lounge.
After checking her mother’s wallet, investigators said her daughter learned that the victim’s cards were missing and subsequently filed a report with SAPD.
Suspect denies allegations
Detectives said they obtained surveillance videos and photos of Houston from several stores where the debit card was used. Investigators showed the pictures to supervisors at the nursing home, who identified Houston as the woman in those photos.
In an interview with police, Houston admitted that she was the person in the surveillance photos.
However, she denied using the victim’s debit card. According to the affidavit, Houston told police that the card she used was a “gift card” she found on the floor at the nursing home.
Houston bonded out of jail just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to jail records. She is expected to make her next court appearance on Aug. 24.
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