A former employee of several Oregon senior citizens’ communities pleaded guilty to stealing money, jewelry and medicines from residents on six of the 21 counts. She was sentenced to two months in prison on Thursday.
Noelle Renee Jendraszek pleaded guilty to first degree abuse, third degree theft and drug file manipulation in Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene, OR. Her sentence is followed by three years of supervised probation. She is also no longer allowed to work as a carer and has to pay compensation to her victims.
Jendrszek most recently worked as a caregiver at Junction City Retirement and Assisted Living in Junction City, OR. She was also in Salem, OR, employed by Cedar Village Assisted Living Community, Capital Manor Retirement Community, Four Seasons Residential Care, Gibson Creek by Bonaventure, Prestige Senior Living Orchard Heights, and Redwood Heights Retirement and Assisted Living Community; and River Grove Memory Care in Eugene, OR.
An investigation into Jendraszek began in September 2020 after a resident’s son reported that his father’s cash had been stolen. Jendraszek was released the next day, according to a report by KEZI 9.
She was arrested on October 14, 2020 by Junction City Police, who said she was “extremely cooperative and accommodating” and spoke openly to investigators “about her wrongdoing”. Within a few hours of her first interview, Jendraszek surrendered around 275 pieces of jewelry that she had stolen from residents of various assisted living and care communities over the past five to six years. She also admitted that she had “withheld vital and medically necessary medication” from 44 of the residents she cared for.
Jendraszek was initially detained on 55 cases for criminal abuse, 44 for manipulation of drug files and 11 for theft.
In a notarized affidavit acknowledging her guilt, Jendraszek stated that she “apologized for any harm I have caused and / or any sadness I have caused. It is my intention to correct my mistakes and do the right thing by taking responsibility for my actions. I hope that one day all the families and people I have hurt can find it within themselves to forgive me because I know what I have done is wrong and I am looking for the help I need to relax and become a better person. “
