Babysitter with secret identity accused of stealing thousands from family

CHAMBLEE, Ga. -- A babysitter is behind bars after she is accused of stealing thousands from a family who was left vulnerable by a false sense of security.

Gina Groves was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to obstruction, but faces fraud charges in two counties after she allegedly used a false name to rack up thousands of dollars in charges to the credit cards of a Chamblee, Georgia family.

Keating McCarthy, who hired Groves, told ABC affiliate WSB-TV she believed the woman she knew as Regina Christopher "would be perfect" after reading a variety of good reviews for the babysitter on the website Care.com.

McCarthy even did due diligence, paying for a background check through the website to ensure her son and their dog would be safe when she and her husband were out of the home.

But then, the couple was shocked when they found more than $5,000 in fraudulent charges on their credit cards. The McCarthys allege Groves even attempted to take out several credit cards in Mr. McCarthy's name.

Boxes of clothing found at their home were paid for on their credit, the couple said.

"We opened up the box and there were seven shirts in there, totally not my style -- much, much larger sort of a muumuu style -- and I looked at them and I knew that was exactly something she would wear," McCarthy told Byfield.

An investigation by police and WSB-TV revealed Christopher was actually Gina Groves, who had a lengthy criminal history that includes warrants in four Georgia counties and spans back to the early 1990s. The station found six mugshots from more than two decades.

A representative for Care.com would not respond to questions regarding the incident, but directed media to the website's safety page.