A New York Metropolis constructing superintendent who was praised as a loyal caregiver in a New York Occasions profile was charged Thursday with stealing greater than $350,000 from a 100-year-old resident of the constructing the place she labored, prosecutors introduced.
Rosalind Hernandez, 56, who labored at a 53-unit co-op house the place many residents had been older adults, is accused of persuading the sufferer to grant her energy of legal professional after which utilizing his checkbook and debit and bank cards to make tons of of hundreds of {dollars}’ price of unauthorized purchases.
“The victim relied on Ms. Hernandez for help, yet after she befriended him, she allegedly broke his trust and stole his hard-earned money for her personal greed,” Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg stated in an announcement, including, ”Those that prey on susceptible older adults will likely be held accountable.”
Hernandez’s legal professional, Vik Pawar, stated, “We intend to fight these charges.”
The 2023 Occasions profile known as Hernandez “the unofficial companion and caregiver to the retirees, widows and widowers” who occupied greater than half of the residences within the constructing close to Google’s places of work in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood the place she labored.
“If it weren’t for her, I’d be in the gutter,” a then-98-year-old resident named Antonio Ruas advised the Occasions.
The district legal professional’s workplace wouldn’t say whether or not Ruas was the individual Hernandez is accused of stealing from, however the particulars seem to match.
In line with the indictment, the sufferer agreed to offer Hernandez entry to his checking account and bank cards as he turned frailer.
The sufferer was injured in a fall in the summertime of 2023 and was not anticipated to get well, so Hernandez accompanied him on a visit to go to his household, prosecutors stated.
Hernandez returned to New York Metropolis with the person’s checkbook, financial institution card and bank cards, prosecutors stated. He had given her the duty of promoting his house and tying up his affairs in alternate for $100,000, prosecutors stated, however she additionally wrote massive unauthorized checks to folks unknown to the sufferer.
Prosecutors stated Hernandez additionally used the sufferer’s debit and bank cards on private bills reminiscent of journey, clothes and a subscription to an entrepreneurship coaching program for herself and her niece.
Regardless of his earlier dire prognosis, the sufferer recovered from his accidents and returned to New York. As soon as again residence he regained entry to his monetary accounts and found the theft, prosecutors stated.
Hernandez was indicted on two counts of grand larceny and launched with an order of safety to keep away from the sufferer.
