Andolina Gonzalez
Real Name: Andolina Gonzalez
Aliases: Addie Gonzalez
Wanted For: Fraud, Theft, Robbery
Missing Since: January 1992
Case[]
Details: Housekeeper Andolina Gonzalez is wanted for stealing from her employer, a former Los Angeles judge named Leland Geiler. Geiler is legally blind and confined to a wheelchair. He began his career as a police officer in 1937. Eleven years later, he became a corporate attorney. By 1966, he'd been appointed a municipal court judge. Along the way, he amassed a small fortune and traveled in social circles that included the rich and powerful. He later moved into a well-appointed house in the fashionable part of Los Angeles. By the early 1970s, he had retired from the bench and his health was declining. In 1981, he and his wife divorced. He became increasingly dependent on his housekeeper Sophia.
In 1986, after six years of devoted service, Sophia decided to leave Geiler. However, she wanted to stay until she found a suitable replacement. Through an employment agency and newspaper ads, Geiler began the interview process. Over the next year, he would hire three different housekeepers. However, none of them lasted more than a few months. Finally, in July of 1988, the "perfect" candidate showed up: Andolina "Addie" Gonzalez. She was unmarried with no children or outside responsibilities. She said she had worked for many years as a housekeeper. She gave the names of several prominent families in Los Angeles.
Geiler and Sophia were impressed by Gonzalez and she was hired soon after. Geiler was convinced that he had made the right choice. Gonzalez was attentive and diligent; she seemed to be genuinely concerned for his well-being. Before long, she made herself indispensable. She familiarized herself with Geiler's house and affairs. She soon took full responsibility for handling the day-to-day financial matters. Geiler trusted her implicitly; he allowed her to use some of his credit cards and even gave her access to his bank accounts.
Gonzalez used Geiler's ATM card to take out the maximum amount of money allowed: $300. However, she did this every other day for months; in the end, she took $58,000 just through the ATM withdrawals. Geiler had no idea that this was occurring. Her scheme went far beyond money. Geiler's house was furnished with a lifetime of priceless objects. Gonzalez removed expensive furniture, paintings, and other objects from the home. She then replaced theses objects with inexpensive items. As a result, Geiler had no idea that the original items were missing, as he could only feel the objects and not see them.
On several occasions, Gonzalez treated herself to vacations in Europe or Hawaii. She also bought expensive gifts for her friends. When questioned by Geiler, she claimed that she paid for everything with her own money. As the months passed, she began to neglect his needs. The house fell into disrepair. On one of her infrequent visits, Sophia was shocked to discover that Geiler was living in squalor. She was even more disturbed to discover that he did not understand what was happening around him.
By 1991, Gonzalez had almost completely depleted Geiler's bank accounts. However, she wasn't finished; she next tried to convince him to sell his house. Before Gonzalez could complete the sale, a worried Sophia dropped by for a visit. She discovered that practically everything in his house was gone. Gonzalez claimed that Geiler was moving to Arizona and that all of his furniture was packed in the basement. Sophia knew this was a lie because the basement was very small and could not fit everything.
Sophia called Geiler's attorney and told him that Gonzalez was up to no good. When confronted, Gonzalez managed to stall. Then, in January of 1992, she cleaned out Geiler's few remaining possessions and disappeared. Over a five-year period, she had robbed him of over half a million dollars in cash and property. He was very upset when he learned that she had robbed him and disposed of his irreplaceable items. He and Sophia hope that she can be caught and sent to prison for her crimes.
Gonzalez was last seen in February of 1992 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Investigators believe that she may now be living with another elderly or disabled person, quite possibly operating the same scam she used to swindle Geiler.
Extra Notes:
- The case was featured as a part of the October 6, 1993 episode.
- The case was excluded from the FilmRise release of the Robert Stack episodes.
- Although not mentioned in the segment, Geiler was accused of lewd misconduct, sexual harassment, and sexual assault while working as a judge. He was removed from his position in 1973 as a result.
Results: Captured. In January of 2000, Andolina Gonzalez was finally arrested in Mexico City. Sadly, just a few weeks later, Judge Geiler passed away; he was eighty-four. Without the prime witness, the charges against Gonzalez were dropped and she was released.
Links:
- Sharing a colorful past with old Hall of Justice - October 29, 2006
- There Goes the Judge - December 2, 2007
- SitcomsOnline Discussion of Andolina Gonzalez
- Judge Geiler at Find a Grave