A Reading man tried to scam an elderly Warwick Township woman out of $15,000 after claiming her grandson was in trouble with the law and needed bail money, according to Northern Lancaster County Regional Police.
Thanks to the woman calling her grandson, the man is facing charges.
Engherbert Perez Jimenez, 26, is charged with felony counts of theft by deception and attempted theft by deception, according to court documents.
Perez Jimenez contacted the 82-year-old woman claiming he was her grandson’s attorney, and that her grandson needed bail after seriously injuring someone in a crash, according to Northern Lancaster County Regional Police.
The woman then withdrew $8,000 and met Perez Jimenez to give him the cash Tuesday in Warwick Township, police said. Perez Jimenez contacted the woman again and demanded an additional $7,000 for the supposed bail.
The woman, suspecting she was being scammed, called her grandson and learned he was fine and not involved in a crash, police said. The woman’s grandson then notified police.
Officers set up surveillance at the meeting place in Warwick Township, where they took Perez Jimenez into custody and recovered the $8,000, police said.
A woman and infant in Perez Jimenez’s vehicle were released pending further investigation.
Perez Jimenez is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. June 28 before…
