BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Elena Sanchez Moreno, who admitted in October to taking roughly $50,000 from families who paid her to create cemetery headstones, returned to court this week as part of her ongoing restitution case. Her arrest followed months of reporting that began in February 2024, when the first family contacted KSAT for help.
More than a dozen families participated in the criminal proceedings that ultimately led to Moreno’s guilty plea. During an October hearing, Judge Stephanie Boyd of Bexar County’s 187th Criminal District Court warned Moreno that she had until December to repay the full amount or risk going to jail.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Moreno confirmed she had gathered about 70% of the restitution—roughly $37,000 of the $50,000 owed. Judge Boyd then extended the deadline, giving Moreno until April 6, 2026, to pay the remaining balance. While the judge noted that Moreno could still face sentencing, no specifics were discussed in court.
The ruling stunned many of the victims who had come expecting a sentencing.
“It’s not about the money. She still has to pay for her crime,” said Veronica Sanchez, who first brought the issue to KSAT after Moreno failed to deliver her father’s headstone. “She knew exactly what she was doing for years. She deserves to be behind bars.”
Other victims echoed similar frustration, saying they felt misled after believing the court would either demand full repayment or move directly to sentencing. One woman, who has waited six years for her late husband’s monument, said the delay felt like “a stab in the heart.”
Following the hearing, victims met with Bexar County prosecutor Lauren Espinosa.
“I completely understand your frustration,” Espinosa told them, noting that the state’s position will remain the same regardless of any partial payments. When asked what might occur in April 2026, she explained that the state would request prison time, while the defense will likely argue for a suspended or probated sentence.
The $37,000 Moreno has raised will now be distributed among the victims as they wait for the remaining restitution. Families say they fully intend to return for Moreno’s next hearing on April 6, 2026.
