QUINCY — A Quincy man has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $70,000 from an elderly woman he was hired to help with yard work, according to a Grant County Sheriff’s Office.  

Francisco Javier Araiza Jr., 30, admitted to first-degree theft from a vulnerable adult after he cashed a series of checks that he claimed had been written by the woman over the course of about a year, according to the probable cause statement.  

The investigation began in August 2025, when Adult Protective Services referred the case to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit after concerns were raised about unusual financial activity, according to the GCSO probable cause statement.  

According to the probable cause statement, the woman’s family had hired a bookkeeper earlier in 2025 to help manage her finances. The bookkeeper noticed a pattern of large checks being written to Araiza, often multiple times per week. 

Araiza had been hired by the woman to perform light yard work such as weeding, pruning and trimming bushes. Investigators said he was typically paid between $20 and $25 per hour and worked only a few hours at a time. 

Despite the limited work, detectives found dozens of checks written to Araiza in amounts ranging from about $1,200 to $1,400. In some instances, multiple checks were written in a single day, and many appeared to be out of sequence or backdated. 

Detectives reviewed bank records dating back several years and determined the suspicious activity began in July 2024. Prior to that time, payments to Araiza were smaller and more consistent with yard work, investigators said in the probable cause statement.  

Between July 2024 and June 2025, authorities allege Araiza wrote or cashed checks totaling about $69,600 from the woman’s accounts. 

Investigators also noted that many of the checks were cashed rather than deposited, and some appeared to be written in handwriting inconsistent with the victims. 

According to the report, Araiza acknowledged working for the woman and said he was paid by check but repeatedly failed to meet with investigators to discuss the transactions in detail. 

The woman’s family told detectives there was “absolutely zero reason or explanation” for Araiza to have earned that level of money based on the limited amount of work performed.  

Investigators also pointed out that checks continued during winter months, when yard work would have been minimal in Grant County. 

Authorities said Araiza knew the woman was elderly and suffered from health conditions, according to the probable cause statement.  

Araiza was arrested in December 2025 and later pleaded guilty to the charge. 

Under the terms of his sentence, Araiza is ordered to serve 30 days in confinement followed by six months of community custody. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victim, with the exact amount to be determined by the court. 

Araiza is currently wanted on a $10,100 bench warrant for failing to appear in court for an unrelated domestic violence case, according to GCSO.