An alleged swindle in Miami-Dade has placed a home health care worker behind bars, accused of tricking an elderly woman and her disabled son out of their own home. Dahamara Cuervo Alonso, 48, stands charged with exploiting the vulnerable pair by forging a fraudulent transfer of their apartment into her name, as reported by Local 10 News.
In a perverse twist, the victims—a 86-year-old mother afflicted with cognitive issues and her 51-year-old son suffering from disabilities—fell prey to Alonso. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle labeled the situation as "a sad comment when owning your home, free and clear, does not provide for your future financial security but instead makes you a target for an alleged thief," in a statement obtained by NBC Miami.
Alonso, tasked with providing care to the elderly woman and her son, allegedly abused that trust by asking them to sign documents purportedly for routine verification of her work hours. According to the prosecutor's office, these signings, a standard industry practice, were conducted under false pretenses, capitalizing on the fact that the documents were in English—a language neither victim could understand. The son became suspicious after stumbling upon a YouTube video about quit claim deed scams, only to discover their property was now listed under Alonso's ownership.
Arrested by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office Elderly and Vulnerable Adult Unit, Alonso now faces charges including grand theft over $100,000, exploitation of elderly, and an organized scheme to defraud over $50,000. NBC Miami reports that authorities found the quit claim deed prepared by Alonso in English showing that despite having served as their home health aide for less than a year, Alonso had "unlawfully trick the victims into signing a document which they did not understand," according to the state attorney's office news release. Exemplifying an egregious breach of the care and trust afforded to her, Alonso managed to manipulate her way into ownership of their apartment.
Fernandez-Rundle further emphasized the gravity of such crimes, stating, "Cases like this are the reason my Elder and Vulnerable Adult Unit was created. As I have said before, in this community, we will not tolerate the victimization of our elder and vulnerable residents." With Alonso now held on a $45,000 bond and her attorney information unavailable, the community awaits justice for those wronged in such a heinous act—robbed not just of property but also of security and peace, as reported by NBC Miami.
