Three individuals were arrested on Tuesday in connection with a lottery scam that defrauded a 72-year-old woman from Fontana out of $20,000.
The incident occurred on Thursday, February 20, when the elderly victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, was shopping in Montclair. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBSD), the victim was approached by two women who convinced her they had won a large lottery jackpot but needed her help to claim the prize.
The suspects managed to gain the victim’s trust and directed her to drive them to her bank. While en route, they were followed by additional suspects in a white 2016 Kia Sorrento. At the bank, the victim withdrew $18,000 and handed it over to the suspects. She also told them she had another $2,000 at home, prompting them to accompany her to her residence in Fontana to collect the rest of the money.
Once at her home, the victim gave the suspects the additional $2,000. Before the female suspects left, they handed her a package, claiming it contained her share of the lottery winnings. When the victim opened the package, she discovered it was filled with cut-up newspapers instead of cash.
Deputies began their investigation and determined that the suspects had preyed on the woman’s age and vulnerability. They were able to identify the suspect vehicle and tracked it down with the help of the Fullerton Police Department. On Tuesday, three Colombian nationals—Rosalba Bernal-Sanchez, 60; Jairo Naranjo-Lopez, 58; and Kevin Prieto-Bernal, 21—were arrested in Fullerton. Prieto-Bernal also had a felony burglary warrant in Illinois and was on felony probation in Minnesota.
The victim positively identified Bernal-Sanchez as one of the women who initially coerced her into the scam. Detectives recovered significant physical evidence linking the suspects to the crime. All three individuals were booked into the West Valley Detention Center and are being held without bail.
Authorities are continuing their investigation and believe there may be other victims who were targeted by the same group. They are also working to identify the second female suspect involved in the scam.
