Former Rochester Health Worker Stole $7k+ from Patient

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A former employee at a Rochester home healthcare provider is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a man suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. 

That’s according to a criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County Court on Tuesday. The charges allege the thefts occurred while he was in her care last fall. 

The case opened this past January when the victim reported a home healthcare provider assigned to him stole $11,000 out his safe. The man told Rochester Police he had given his care provider, identified as 44-year-old Layla Marie Dodge, access to his safe so she could help him buy items. 

From October to November of last year, the victim asked Dodge to use his money to buy him a computer, virtual reality headset and furniture. The charges indicate those purchases were never made and that the victim did not get the all of money back he had given to Dodge. 

Investigators also learned the cameras the victim had set up in front of his safe had been turned off on several occasions and had not saved any data from October 2022-November 2022.

The victim began suspecting Dodge was stealing from him after he noticed 70 $100 bills were missing from his safe. The court document says he raised the issue with Dodge’s manager and another employee at the home health care agency during a visit around Thanksgiving.

In early January management confronted Dodge about the alleged thefts. She denied stealing from the victim but was fired from the agency, the complaint says.

The charges accuse Dodge of taking $7,100 from the victim. Investigators say she kept $4,050 in cash from the victim. 

Dodge was charged Tuesday with one count of felony theft and a count of felony theft-attempt to exercise temporary control. She’s been summoned to make her first appearance in the case in Olmsted County Court on November 9.