David Vanzo’s mother died two weeks ago, just days short of her 91st birthday. Now, police are alleging that on the day she passed, he took his mother’s dead body to the bank in order to withdraw money from her account — waiting seven hours before finally reporting her death to authorities.
In response, social workers and county authorities are investigating the Plymouth, Minnesota, man for possible elder abuse and financial exploitation.
According to MyFoxTwinCities.com, Vanzo denies the claims.
He told the TV station:
My mother and I had an agreement. I took care of my mom for years. I’m the good guy here, not the bad guy. I love my mother very much. I gave my life to keep my mother alive.
Despite his on-air declarations of devotion, evidence suggests that Vanzo may have taken her body to the bank in a taxi, wheeled her through the lobby in a wheelchair and withdrawn $850 from her account. Bank employees have also told the police that her feet were dragging lifelessly as he pushed her and she didn’t seem to be breathing during the visit.
This isn’t the first time Vanzo has been investigated for elder abuse and financial exploitation of his mother. In 2012, he reportedly took out a reverse mortgage in his mother’s name for $113,000 and made cash withdrawals totaling more than $70,000.
Despite the suspicious circumstances, David Vanzo maintains that his mother was alive at the time of their bank visit and that all of the money he has received came from a joint account.