HOUSTON – A Houston-area woman says a chance conversation at a taco truck turned into months of fear, financial loss, and alleged threats against her family.
Now, Pasadena police say they believe she is not the only victim.
Detectives arrested Irma Aide Hernandez on felony theft and retaliation charges. Investigators say at least five victims have come forward so far, with reported losses totaling nearly $40,000.
Police are asking anyone else who may have been targeted to contact their local law enforcement agency.
The woman who spoke with KPRC 2 asked that her identity be protected because she says she is still afraid.
She says she became a U.S. citizen at 19 years old, but her husband did not.
The couple has been married for 23 years and has three children who are U.S. citizens. She says that for nearly 17 years, her husband tried to fix his immigration status through legal channels, but did not qualify for forgiveness under previous rules.
She says the laws later changed, and he finally qualified. He was accepted last year in March. Still, the process was long and uncertain.
“Siempre nos decían lo mismo, que él no calificaba y que tenía que salir del país,” she told KPRC 2.
Translation: “They always told us the same thing, that he didn’t qualify and that he had to leave the country.”
The woman says she and her husband stopped to eat near a taco truck on Edgebrook Street when another woman approached them.
She says they had a vehicle with Nuevo León plates, and the woman began asking questions. The victim says the woman claimed she worked for immigration and could help fast-track paperwork.
“Me dijo que trabajaba para migración y que nos podía ayudar en cualquier momento,” she said.
Translation: “She told me she worked for immigration and that she could help us at any time.”
Pasadena police say that claim was false.
Detective John Jernigan with the Pasadena Police Department’s financial crimes division says the suspect allegedly presented herself as someone connected to immigration.
“Basically, she worked for immigration. Sometimes she would say that she was an immigration officer,” Jernigan said.
Thousands of dollars lost
The victim says she was told the process would cost about $10,000. She says she ultimately paid approximately $12,000.
She says the money was savings her family had set aside to buy a home. She did not want to take that step until her husband was legally in the country.
Police say other victims reported similar experiences.
“So far, I’ve come across five,” Jernigan said. “Totaling probably just under $40,000 that she’s stolen.”
Investigators say much of the communication happened through text messages and WhatsApp. Some payments were made through Zelle.
The victim says she was later told her husband’s residency card had already been approved and was in Monterrey, Mexico. She says she was instructed to drive first to Laredo and then into Monterrey to retrieve it.
While in Mexico, she says she grew suspicious and demanded proof.
She says that when she threatened to report what was happening, the suspect made a chilling statement.
“Pues me dice que si yo la reporto en el puente, ella va a terminar a mi familia antes de que yo llegue aquí,” she said. “Pero no creo que tú vas a poder soporta vivir sin tener a tu esposo y a tus hijos vivos.”
Translation: “She told me that if I reported her at the bridge, she would finish off my family before I got back home. She said she could handle being in jail, but she didn’t think I could handle living without my husband and children alive.”
The victim says she returned to Texas, terrified and stopped letting her daughter ride the school bus because she feared for her family’s safety.
“Te cambia totalmente la vida porque no sabes en algún lugar donde tú andas si hay alguien que te está vigilando o no,” she said.
Translation: “It completely changes your life because you don’t know, wherever you are, if someone is watching you.”
Detectives later obtained a warrant and arrested Hernandez. During a search of her home, Jernigan says investigators found stacks of immigration-related documents dating back to 2023.
Police believe there may be additional victims who have not yet reported what happened.
Jernigan says immigration status should not stop someone from contacting police if they are the victim of a crime.
“I encourage anybody who is a victim of a crime to contact us, regardless of what their immigration status is,” he said. “Ultimately, we are here to help people.”
Police say anyone who believes they were targeted should contact the law enforcement agency in the city where they live.
If you have information related to this case, you are urged to contact the Pasadena Police Department.