ZELIENOPLE — A trip to the hospital left a grandmother more than $700 in the hole.

Although Catherine Ohler took the time to hide her purse before she went to the hospital on Dec. 30, police say her granddaughter, Codie Rekasie, took her debit card and made more than $730 in purchases and ATM withdrawals.

According to the police report, Ohler and her daughter, Debbie Kline, came to the police station on Jan. 23 to report that upon returning from the hospital, Ohler had a voice mail from Northwest Bank stating that suspicious transactions had appeared on Ohler’s account.

Olhler said she had hidden her purse before going to the hospital and could not find it upon returning home.

Zelienople patrolman Wayne Magill then secured the dates and times of the transactions from the bank and checked the security footage at the 7-11 on Glen Eden Road, the Bilo Gas ‘n Go and other stores.

Ohler’s granddaughter, who is Kline’s daughter, was spotted making the suspicious transactions and purchases that appeared on Ohler’s bank statement.

Codie Rekasie, 21, of Evans City was charged with 27 counts related to the incident, including receiving stolen property and theft.

Rekasie waived her preliminary hearing on Tuesday before Judge Wayne Seibel in Evans City.