Alejandro Díaz Torriente, aged 67, received a 20-year prison sentence on Wednesday, followed by a decade of probation, for financially exploiting a 94-year-old woman in Miami-Dade by impersonating her son to take control of her home and savings, according to the county's State Attorney's Office.
The victim, who resided in her El Portal neighborhood home—purchased in 1980 and valued at over $600,000—was declared legally incompetent in 2021. Subsequently, a neighbor's daughter was appointed as her legal guardian by the court.
Díaz Torriente, who became acquainted with the elderly woman around 2020, gradually earned her trust and began presenting himself as her son to medical professionals, caregivers, and others, referring to her as "mom" in every interaction.
Deceptive Tactics and Financial Manipulation
This deceitful impersonation allowed him to prevent the legal guardian from accessing the elderly woman, move into her residence, and change the locks.
The financial scheme was equally complex: Díaz Torriente redirected the woman's social security benefits to an unknown bank account, opened additional accounts to swindle approximately $20,000 in cash, and filed a fraudulent title adding himself as a co-owner with survivorship rights on the property.
It was the legal guardian who uncovered the fraud upon noticing the diversion of social security funds, prompting a four-month investigation by the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Exploitation Task Force (EVA) of the State Attorney's Office, which led to Díaz Torriente's arrest in November 2023.
Legal Consequences and Broader Implications
The charges Díaz Torriente was convicted of included organized scheme to defraud, exploitation of an elderly or disabled person, and grand theft.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle praised the efforts of Assistant State Attorney Sara Imm and the EVA team, sternly warning, "This case delivers a clear message to those who aim to leave our seniors in misery and neglect: we will not tolerate this ruthless crime against our vulnerable residents."
Díaz Torriente's case is not unique in the county. In April of this year, a mother and son faced charges in Miami for exploiting an elderly woman for three years using fraudulent credit cards, and in July 2025, a Cuban national pleaded guilty to stealing over $800,000 from a senior from Panama.
Since its inception in May 2022, the EVA Task Force has brought forth numerous criminal cases and assisted hundreds of vulnerable adults in Miami-Dade, under a state law that stipulates penalties up to a first-degree felony when losses exceed $100,000.
Understanding Elder Financial Exploitation in Miami-Dade
What led to Díaz Torriente's arrest?
Díaz Torriente was arrested following an investigation triggered by the legal guardian discovering the diversion of the elderly woman's social security funds.
How did Díaz Torriente manipulate the elderly woman's finances?
He redirected her social security benefits to an unknown account, opened accounts to steal approximately $20,000, and filed a fraudulent property title naming himself as a co-owner.
What does the EVA Task Force do?
The EVA Task Force investigates and prosecutes cases of exploitation against elderly and vulnerable adults, providing assistance and legal action to protect these individuals.