SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- All it took to look the part was a white lab coat and a stethoscope. "She was able to gain access to secure area, based on the way she looked," said Deputy April Skalland, Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.
The area: the Neonatal Care Unit at Dominican Hospital. A very highly secured unit.
"They asked her questions, she had good answers," said Skalland.
Santa Cruz deputies said Wednesday afternoon, a woman disguised as a doctor walked in to a nurse break room area and stole credit cards from three nurses.
The woman didn't stop there, once she was finished at the hospital, deputies said she went to the Capitola Mall and stores in the area, and purchased at least $4,000 worth of merchandise, all charged on to those stolen credit cards.
The big question, where was hospital security?
Two weeks ago Central Coast News visited a Neonatal Unit at another Central Coast hospital and had to go through three different security checks just to make it to the front door of the unit.
Dominican Hospital released this statement about the security breach:
"We are committed to providing a safe environment and are reviewing the incident and related hospital security policies. The safety and security of our patients and staff are our highest priorities."
"We are hoping we can catch the suspect and make it right again," said Skalland.
The woman was caught on several surveillance tapes from the hospital and stores, but investigators are still reviewing those and have not released anything yet.
Deputies also say the woman may have gone to the Gilroy and Morgan Hill area.
