Salinas caretaker sentenced in elder abuse case

A Salinas woman has been sentenced to a year in jail for felony elder abuse.

Daisy Yolanda Ramirez, 42, was convicted of felony counts of elder abuse by neglect under circumstances likely to result in great bodily injury or death, filing false income tax returns and making false representations to obtain unemployment assistance.

On Tuesday, Ramirez was sentenced to a five-year suspended prison term, 365 days in Monterey County Jail and five years of probation.

She also was ordered to pay more than $45,000 in restitution to the state’s Franchise Tax Board, and another $39,000 to the state Employment Development Department. She also will pay restitution to the victim, who had hired Ramirez as a caretaker in 2009.

During the years of Ramirez’ employment as caretaker, the Monterey Police and Fire Departments responded numerous times to aid the elderly victim. Officers eventually determinedthat her caregiver, Ramirez, was responsible for extreme neglect.

Ramirez also failed to lawfully report more than $199,000 in earnings as a caregiver on her state tax returns, and collected unemployment benefits while she was in fact employed.