A ghoulish Manhattan constructing tremendous allegedly conned a 101-year-old tenant out of $350,000 as a result of she thought he was “going to die” quickly — however he’s nonetheless alive and kicking, he confirmed a courtroom Tuesday.
Centenarian Antonio Ruas dramatically took the stand on the trial of his former tremendous Rosalind Hernandez, who’s accused of making the most of the aged man by convincing him to grant her energy of legal professional over his funds.
“She mentioned, ‘Antonio, it’s important to signal a doc as a result of if something occurs to you, I’ve to get in contact with your loved ones in Brazil,” Ruas testified by means of a Portuguese interpreter in regards to the second Hernandez, 57, allegedly persuaded him to signal the authorized doc.
The alleged scheme took kind after Ruas, a retired diamond cutter, suffered a near-fatal fall in 2023 and determined to return to his native Brazil to be together with his household, based on his testimony and prosecutors.
“She thought I used to be going to die there and that she may hold the entire stuff,” he testified in Manhattan Supreme Court docket about his former trusted tremendous.
The aged man had owned a co-op residence on the pre-war Chelsea Corridor constructing on West sixteenth Avenue for 40 years, and lived there together with his companion, who tragically died throughout the COVID pandemic in 2020.
Hernandez — who was described as a “lifeline” for senior tenants in a New York Occasions profile — began to change into “very pleasant” with Ruas after his companion died, stepping in to assist and even accompanying him on a couple of journeys to Brazil in 2022, prosecutors have mentioned.
“She stopped by to speak, she introduced her teenage youngsters to have dinner with Mr. Ruas. She was desperate to be useful to him particularly together with his funds,” Manhattan Assistant District Legal professional Raphaelle Monty mentioned throughout opening statements Monday.
However in July 2023, Ruas fell on the road, hitting his head, and was hospitalized for every week.
When he informed Hernandez that he’d be going again to Brazil, Ruas testified his tremendous informed him she’d handle promoting his residence for him and serving to pull his affairs collectively — main him to signal over energy of legal professional.
“She was going to do the whole lot for me,” Ruas mentioned on the stand Tuesday. “She was going to promote my residence, she was going to switch my social safety to Brazil. I believed it.”
Ruas, who had round $700,000 in his checking account, mentioned he gifted Hernandez $100,000 as a result of he figured he wasn’t “going to final lengthy anyway.”
However he grew suspicious after not receiving cash from Hernandez for the sale of his residence, he testified.
He returned to New York Metropolis later that 12 months and found that his residence hadn’t been bought.
In the meantime, Hernandez, who had entry to Ruas’ Citibank account, had despatched checks totaling over $450,000 to her boyfriend and one other examine to her sister in regulation, prosecutors mentioned.
Jurors on Tuesday noticed footage of the six checks allegedly signed by Hernandez, which have been dated between August and October 2023 — together with one to her beau for $168,000.
Prosecutors declare Hernandez used Ruas’ credit score and debit playing cards to purchase herself hundreds of {dollars} of magnificence merchandise, garments and self enchancment subscriptions.
Hernandez, who managed the 53-unit Chelsea co-op constructing, was fired someday after she was indicted in November 2024.
The previous tremendous is charged with two counts of grand larceny and faces a most of 15 years in jail, if convicted. She has pleaded not responsible.
Hernandez as soon as was praised as a “lifeline for senior tenants” in a glowing 2023 New York Occasions profile — by which Ruas was quoted as saying, “If it weren’t for (Hernandez), I’d be within the gutter.”
When requested by Hernandez’s legal professional, Michael Hurwitz, on cross examination whether or not he ever talked up Hernandez with a reporter, the 101-year-old mentioned he didn’t keep in mind.
Jurors started deliberating later Tuesday.
