A 27-year-old man faces charges after authorities say he targeted elderly women in a lawn and tree-trimming scam.
Augustine Hernandez of Commerce City approached an 83- year-old Denver woman and a 91-year-old Lakewood woman about caring for their lawns in July and August, authorities said.
Hernandez allegedly persuaded a victim to give him a second check after claiming that his baby ate the first check. She lost about $500.
The second victim was taken for $10,000, investigators said. They said Hernandez preyed on the second victim’s memory loss, returning several times to get more checks. Because the second victim has shaky handwriting, she often left the amount of checks blank.
Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman reported the scam to Lakewood police after one of the victims, his neighbor, asked him for help.
Other neighbors reported that Hernandez passed out fliers advertising low- cost work such as concrete repair and tree trimming.
Police are looking for Hernandez’s relatives, John Hernandez and Apolinar Hernandez, both 26, in connection with the case.
Augustine Hernandez has been charged with two counts of theft, two counts of theft from an at-risk adult and three counts of forgery. He is being held on $75,000 bail.
Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey warned older adults to keep their doors locked at all times and not to hire strangers who appear at their homes.
“Our mothers taught us not to talk to strangers, and that advice still holds true today,” he said.
People who believe they have been victimized by Hernandez are asked to call the district attorney at 720-913-9179.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
