Woman arrested for using grandmother’s debit card without permission

A 25-year-old Des Moines woman has been charged for taking and using her grandmother’s debit card without permission.

Haley M. Esqueda, 25, was charged with second-degree theft and identity theft from an incident that occurred between Aug. 13 and Aug. 17 last year. According to the criminal complaint, Esqueda used the debit card to make purchases and withdraw cash from an ATM without her grandmother’s knowledge. She was able to access more than $1,500 from the account before the bank was made aware of the fraudulent transactions.

The victim notified law enforcement and an investigation was conducted. Esqueda could be identified by law enforcement from security footage of her using the card. The bank reimbursed the victim for the fraudulent transactions and pursued charges against Esqueda, and a warrant was issued.

She was arrested Jan. 28 in Polk County for the charges. Esqueda remains in the Polk County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond for the Jasper County charges. She is also being held on multiple charges filed in Polk County.