California Woman Faces New Charges Of Fleecing Home Equity Out From Under Unwitting Seniors Using Forged Documents

In Whittier, California, the Whittier Daily News reports:

• A Whittier woman who allegedly fleeced an elderly couple out of $273,000 was charged this week with stealing $50,000 from another senior. Helen Hinojos, 45, took out a second loan against a house without the permission or knowledge of the owner, according to sheriff's Detective Christopher Derry. The victim, an 85-year-old Whittier woman, is related to Hinojos by marriage.

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• Two other suspects, Ruth Farias, 69, of Santa Ana, and Esmeralda Garcia, 29, of Ontario were arrested last week. Garcia is out on bond while Farias and Hinojos remain in county jail. The prosecution charged the three women with one count of theft from an elder or dependent adult which happened between Nov. 1 and 17, 2009. Garcia was also charged with forgery after she allegedly notarized the forged signature of the victim on a deed of trust.

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• Hinojos helped the victim refinance her home in March 2009. Eight months later, she allegedly used the woman's personal information to apply for a second mortgage on the house. Hinojos made monthly payments on the second loan with money orders so it couldn't be traced, according to Derry. But she was late with a payment. He said the lender sent a notice to the victim who asked Hinojos about it. After fees, he said Hinojos got $42,000 of the loan, Garcia $3,700 and Farias $3,500.
• This is the second case where Hinojos, a loan processor, allegedly scammed a senior. She was charged earlier this year of defrauding a Whittier couple in their 70s from 2008 to 2009.
• The couple wanted to refinance their house in order to buy their daughter's Ontario home which was in foreclosure. They turned to Hinojos, who was a friend of their son. Hinojos allegedly convinced them to transfer the refinancing money into another escrow company. The bulk was put into a trust account.
• Derry said Hinojos convinced the escrow agent to release the money to her, her relatives and friends. She also allegedly took a second loan using the couple's name. They didn't know about the loan and only found out their Whittier home had been sold when a deputy arrived with an eviction notice.

For the story, see Whittier woman charged in second fraud case against senior.

(1) In addition, investigators said Farias, a former licensed real estate broker, allegedly used the company name of a licensed broker in Huntington Beach and submitted the false loan documents to the lender for Hinojos, and charged her with identity theft, the story states.