Police have arrested a Manitoba woman who allegedly stole from a blind woman she met on a bus trip to Toronto.

Investigators say the 49-year-old alleged victim was travelling to Toronto from Sudbury, Ont., when a woman engaged her in conversation.

They say the Manitoba woman told the blind woman she was homeless, had been through a recent family tragedy and had nowhere to stay.

Police say the blind woman, who was headed to Toronto for medical treatment, offered the other woman a place to stay.

They say when the blind woman woke up in her hotel on Tuesday morning $800 had been taken from her wallet and the Manitoba woman had fled.

The 36-year-old Manitoba woman turned herself in on Thursday and is charged with theft under $5,000.

"This is a cowardly act," Insp. Colin Greenaway told a news conference on Thursday. "This is a person who's taken advantage of someone who has a disability and has a great heart and was trying to help another person."