Manhattan Apartment Building Super Allegedly Steals Over $350K from 100-Year-Old Resident
A Manhattan apartment building super who was once praised as a devoted caregiver is now facing charges for allegedly deceiving a 100-year-old resident into granting her power of attorney before stealing more than $350,000 from him.
Rosalind Hernandez, 56, was indicted for using her position of trust to access the elderly victim’s life savings and spending it on personal expenses like clothes and lingerie over nearly a year starting in July 2023, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated, “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. Those who prey on vulnerable older adults will be held accountable.”
Hernandez befriended the senior tenant and convinced him to grant her power of attorney to handle his affairs after he suffered a serious fall. The victim, who was living with family out of town, offered Hernandez $100,000 to sell his apartment and oversee his bank accounts, but she instead wrote checks totaling more than $450,000 to unknown recipients and made personal purchases with the victim’s debit and credit cards.
After the victim recovered from his injuries and regained access to his financial accounts, he discovered the fraudulent activities. Hernandez, who was once praised as a caregiver for senior tenants, is now facing charges of second-degree grand larceny and third-degree grand larceny.
Defense attorney Vik Pawar has stated that he will fight the charges on behalf of his client. The case highlights the importance of protecting vulnerable older adults from financial exploitation.
