CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A woman is claiming that sometime during her recent hospital stay, cash and other important personal information were stolen from her purse.
When she couldn't get answers from the hospital, she called the Troubleshooters for help.
Maria Villarreal was released from Spohn Shoreline on Friday Sept. 18.
She was admitted earlier that week and had surgery for stroke-like symptoms two days before her release.
But it wasn't until Friday, after being released and going home, that Villarreal says she realized something else had happened to her while she was a patient.
“I looked for my cards and my license,” she said. “My social security. My bank card. My unemployment card. Everything was stolen from my purse.”
Villarreal claims something else was missing: money.
“And $200.00 that I had stashed inside the purse,” she said.
On Thursday, just one day earlier while still in the hospital recovering from surgery, Villarreal told the Troubleshooters she used one of her credit cards to pay a bill.
So some time between Thursday and Friday afternoon when she was released from Spohn Shoreline, someone did something they shouldn't have done.
When Villarreal tried using one of her missing cards, she remembers being told she had bought tacos earlier in the morning.
“I'm like 'excuse me!' I didn't get released till about 1 or 2 in the afternoon,” she said.
Her reaction was understandable.
“It feels bad,” she said. “Because I always tried to help people.”
Villarreal contacted the hospital, but says they haven’t called her back.
So she's filed a police report, and called us for help.
We contacted Spohn Shoreline.
In a prepared statement, Spohn said they're willing to listen and investigate any patient claims.
And further, they’ll work with their security team in doing so.
"We strive to deliver exceptional and compassionate care to every person who comes through our doors,” the statement read.
“Christus Spohn is always willing to listen and investigate any concerns patients might have because protecting their privacy and personal belongings is crucial to us and essential to building a trusting relationship with our patients.
“Further, when complaints are formally reported to us, we work with our security team to thoroughly investigate. We welcome direct feedback and encourage anyone with concerns to contact us directly."
Now, Villarreal is replacing her missing cards, including her drivers’ license and social security, with new ones.
And that’s going to take awhile.
