A Hialeah man, 72, was arrested on charges of financially exploiting his elderly mother, swindling $50,000 from the 95-year-old, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office reported. Manuel C. Diaz Hernandez now faces a slew of charges including exploitation of an elderly person, grand theft of a person over 65, and an organized scheme to defraud, as per an announcement made by State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, NBC Miami stated.
Authorities told NBC Miami that the exploitation began after the victim, who lived alone following her husband's death, received a $57,000 settlement related to his passing, her son, Diaz Hernandez, who previously had little contact with her, suddenly entered her life persuading her to let him manage her finances citing their blood relation, convinced she would be better off under his stewardship, which led to the disappearance of funds and eventually her inability to pay rent after he was added to her bank account.
According to a report by CBS News, Diaz Hernandez's mother had initially turned to her deceased husband's adopted son for help in managing the settlement money. The adopted son, residing in Arizona, did assist in setting up a bank account, but he was eventually replaced by Diaz Hernandez as the primary person on the account. Eight months spanning March to August 2022 saw the bank account's funds bleed away to empty, a series of transactions that spelled financial disaster for the elderly woman.
In a statement obtained by CBS News, Rundle expressed the heartache in such betrayal, "It is always inconceivably sad when a son, or a daughter, or another family member sees an elderly relative as an exploitable target," explaining the unfortunate vulnerability of elder residents to such exploitation the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office had to intervene, providing emergency housing to prevent the victim from being evicted as a consequence of her son's actions.
Now in custody, Diaz Hernandez's attorney information was not immediately available after the booking, reflecting a case that again emphasizes the plight too often befalling the vulnerable elder demographic within our society, as law enforcement and state officials continue to underline their commitment to protecting them.
