LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A family that lost everything in a Florida hurricane moved to Las Vegas for a new start.
With a baby on the way, it seemed like a dream when they found a rental home in Henderson just in time for Thanksgiving.
However, it turned into a nightmare when the family of four was evicted just two weeks later. The family tells FOX5 it was all a scam involving an illegal listing and a fake landlord.
“It’s like your floor getting ripped beneath you,” said Jewel Rodriguez. “Literally.”
Rodriguez and Angelo Crews thought they had finally found a place to call home. They left Florida with their two sons to escape the hurricane.
After renting rooms weekly, they found a new opportunity in November.
“We found an ad on Facebook for a landlord renting out to their first tenant,” she said.
The family viewed the home and offered to pay the security deposit on the spt. They signed a lease online a few days later.
On day one of moving in, there was a red flag.
“The landlord in suspicion asked us to pay her the rent through Apple Pay. We refused,” she said. “We told her we would provide it through money orders.”
Then, after just two weeks, “We got a knock on the door from a constable saying that we needed to leave and vacate the premises.”
The family only had 15 minutes to leave.
The worst part was Rodriguez ran an in-home daycare and had seven children in her care when the constable arrived.
The family grabbed a few essentials, the dog and left.
“Just having other people’s kids there, and you’re responsible for them,” she said. “You really have no explanation for them because you didn’t do anything wrong.”
On top of being kicked out of their home, she says their belongings were stolen soon after they left.
Delta Academy, where their 14-yeasr-old son is a student, found out about the situation. The principal says it took just one email for staff, parents and students to take action.
“Within a matter of hours, we had beds and pots and pans,” said Dr. Lashon Fredericks, Delta Academy’s principal. “Someone gave a $1K donation. The funds and items have not stopped coming in.”
Things are looking up for the family. They are moving in to a new apartment tomorrow. They also say they are working with detectives on this case and they are hoping the alleged fraudulent landlord faces felony charges.
Copyright 2024 KVVU. All rights reserved.
