Crime & Safety

Barrington Police Arrest Two Caregivers in Separate Incidents

One caregiver arrested for burglary of jewelry on Garlands Lane; the other for credit card offenses and driving on a revoked license.

arrested two caregivers of local residents in separate incidents over the past two weeks. 

Dennis A. Ablang, 44 years old of Sycamore Road in Buffalo Grove was arrested Dec. 13,  following the investigation of a burglary which occurred Dec. 11 and a theft which occurred in October 2011, according to a Barrington police news release. Both incidents took place in the 1000 block of Garlands Ln. in Barrington.

Barrington Police Chief Jerry Libit said one of the victims was the person who Ablang had been serving as a private caregiver and the other victim was a neighbor in the building. 

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A total of more than $60,000 in jewelry was taken. One incident reportedly involved approximately $38,200 in jewelry and another at least $24,000 in jewelry.

Libit said police are continuing to investigate Ablang and more charges may be pending.  

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A considerable amount of the jewelry taken from victims has been recovered and is being returned to the victims.

Ablang is currently charged with four four counts of Burglary (Class 1 Felony), one count of possession of drug paraphernalia (Class A Misdemeanor), one count of possession of methamphetamine (Class 2 Felony) and two counts of theft (Class 2 Felony). He was taken to a bond hearing at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Dec. 15. Bond was set at 10 percent of $100,000.

In a separate incident, Barrington police were investigating Gina A. Schoening, 46 of Woodland Avenue in Elgin, because of a complaint from the family of a Barrington resident that she was hired to care for. The family alleged that Schoening used the victim’s credit card for unauthorized purchases. Schoening was caring for a resident in the 600 block of West Russell St. in Barrington.

When Barrington police went to interview Schoening, she was found driving on a revoked license, Libit said. Usually driving on a revoke license is a misdemeanor charge, but her charge was upgraded to a Class 3 Felony because her driving privileges were currently revoked for a prior DUI arrest.

She was taken to a bond hearing at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Dec. 7 and bond was set at 10 percent of $25,000.

Schoening was also charged by Elgin police for credit card offenses. 

Barrington police remind residents and families of residents receiving caregiver assistance to be alert to help prevent the chance that they will be taken advantage of. Screening of caregivers found independently or through an agency is vital. Caregivers should undergo a background check. Look for licensed and or bonding of caregivers. Ask for copies of licenses or certifications they may hold. Check references of past clients they have assisted and make sure those references are authentic past employers.

Whenever screening potential caregivers, ask family members or long‐time trusted friends to participate in interviewing them. Caregivers should not be given access to your credit cards or financial accounts.

Criminals posing as caregivers are often willing to spend time to establish your trust before acting. Discuss with family or long‐time trusted friends any suspicious behavior, unusual requests of caregivers for access to your property, or financial transactions between you and your caregiver.

Resource for suggestions on what to look for in screening caregivers include:

Caring.com and The Family Caregiver Alliance


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