Former Fox News Personality Arrested, Charged With Kidnapping
Former ‘Liberal Sherpa’ of Fox News Arrested, Charged With Kidnapping and Financially Exploiting Her Mother
A former journalist who often shared liberal views on Fox News, was arrested Friday in Florida on seven felony charges. Cathy Areu described herself as a “liberal sherpa” after frequent appearances as the opposition voice on programs such as “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Cathy Areu Jones (aka Cathy Areu), 51, was arrested for the alleged kidnapping and financial exploitation of her octogenarian mother. The State Attorney’s Office Elder Exploitation Task Force secured a warrant for her arrest in June but she allegedly moved often to evade capture.
“Every incident of alleged elder exploitation or abuse touches our heart and never fails to shock us,” said state attorney Katherine Rundle in a statement. “It seems particularly harder to understand when the alleged perpetrator of the exploitation is a daughter, or a son or another blood relative.”
Areu faces felony charges for one count each of Elderly Exploitation, Organized Scheme to Defraud, Conspiracy to Commit Organized Scheme to Defraud, Kidnapping and Fraudulent Use of Personal Identification. She also faces two felony counts of False Imprisonment, according to the state attorney’s statement.
The former Fox News guest allegedly twice used a revoked Power of Attorney to involuntarily commit her mother to an institution so Areu could gain control of her 88-year-old mother’s financial assets.
Areu tricked her elderly mother into believing they were going for ice cream, the first time, according to law enforcement.
“When she was locked into an assisted living facility instead, the mother was able to call someone she knew for help,” the state attorney said in her statement. Her mother called a friend before her daughter told staff to deny her use of a phone.
The second time, Areu and a co-conspirator dragged the victim from her home and took her to a different facility, the state attorney claimed in her statement.
Neighbors noticed the victim’s shoe in her driveway and that her door was open, so they called the police.
Both times, Department of Children and Families adult protection investigators secured the victim’s release after determining her mental and physical fitness.
State attorney Rundle alleged a laundry list of attempts by Areu to get her mother’s assets.
Areu may have made off with more than $224,000 of her mother’s finances, including the proceeds of a reverse mortgage on the mother’s house, according to a Miami Herald report. Investigators also believe the former journalist withdrew money from her mother’s bank accounts and opened credit cards in her name.
Areu’s profile has since been removed from the Fox News website.