2 Pa. women charged with bilking blind 83-year-old woman

WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) — Two southwestern Pennsylvania women have been ordered to stand trial on charges they stole almost $11,000 from an 83-year-old blind woman.

Patricia Christopher, 29, and Nicole Brautigam, 26, both of Washington, Pa., waived their right to preliminary hearings on theft and related charges Tuesday.

The women have pleaded not guilty to draining the victim’s bank account instead of using it to pay her rent and personal needs. Christopher doesn’t have a listed phone and Brautigam didn’t answer her phone today.

Police began investigating when they received complaints about dogs in the home in November and found squalid conditions including a broken water pipe, exposed wires, damaged heaters and open garbage bags.