DEER PARK, Texas — She’s been dubbed the “tamale scammer” by authorities by the Deer Park Police Department.
Blanca Delarosa is facing felony charges for preying on the elderly and disabled to scam them out of money and more.
A Houston man who almost fell victim to Delarosa is warning others of the dangers while a local company wants to help those who were scammed.
James Muecke had an unexpected run-in with Delarosa at his home.
“I opened the door, she immediately came and gave me a hug and she said, ‘Mr. James.’ How she knew my name I have no idea," Muecke said.
Muecke said Delarosa showed up one night claiming to be selling tamales. He agreed to buy some but told Delarosa to wait in the garage while he grabbed some money.
“When I got to about over here, I noticed she was behind me,” he said.
Muecke said the woman followed him into his home.
He said Delarosa was in his home for only a few minutes.
“I had the $10 in my hand, but once she went to use the bathroom, she was ready to leave, so I’m assuming she saw the inside of the house -- most probably there was nothing for her to steal -- so she wanted to get the hell out of here before it went any further,” Muecke said.
He didn’t think anything of it until he saw Delarosa on the news.
“Then I saw on Channel 11...it said the 'Tamale Lady Scammer’ and I said, ‘Oh hell, that’s the lady that was here,'" he said.
Deer Park Lieutenant Chis Brown said Delarosa canvassed communities preying on the elderly and disabled. She’s charged with felony theft for making her way into a home and allegedly stealing $11,000 in jewelry.
“She was not an amateur," Muecke said. "She knew exactly what to say, where to go and how to do things.”
Now Cuarto Cinco Enterprises, a Houston tamale company, wants to give back to those who were allegedly scammed by Delarosa. Cliff Vaughn said they want to offer free tamales to those who were allegedly scammed.
“We’re in the tamale business," Vaughn said. "It’s something we take seriously every day and to hear about a lady using it as a scam, I didn’t take it lightly."
Muecke urges people to be on the lookout and to report any suspicious activity immediately.
Lt. Brown said victims have also been reported in Houston, La Porte and Pasadena, and additional charges could be pending.
If you were an alleged victim and want to claim your free tamales, you can reach out to Cuarto Cinco Enterprises at (713) 864-7777.