Yikes! Nanny Scam!

[3113]

The kids, evidently, are undamaged by the experience, but mygawd! 5 years this woman did this.

Kim Lewis remembers feeling lucky when Patricia Villamarin agreed to become the nanny for her 3-month-old twins six years ago. The attorney was impressed by Villamarin's resume touting her experience watching over twins and was pleased when the nanny recounted their many "enriching" trips to the aquarium, farmers markets, parks and libraries.

Then she found out that she was a victim of what authorities now describe as an elaborate fraud.

The Los Angeles city attorney's office this week accused Villamarin of running a five-year scheme in which she agreed to care for children in the Hancock Park and Larchmont areas, but dumped them off at an unlicensed day-care center in a Hollywood apartment so she could work selling produce.

The misdemeanor grand theft charges against her name five families, each with two children placed in her care, including Lewis' twins. But authorities said they believe up to 30 children could be involved, and the investigation is continuing.

Villamarin, 38, allegedly told parents she wanted to expose their children to various cultural activities as an excuse to get them out of the house. Once she received permission to take the children out, she allegedly dropped them off at the apartment and went to work selling fruit at a farmers market in Chinatown.

Sometimes she dropped off children from multiple families, according to prosecutor Will Rivera. When she returned for the children at the end of the day, Villamarin would pay the woman running the unlicensed day care between $5 and $10 for each child. Villamarin ended up making "tens of thousands of dollars," Rivera said, because the parents paid her between $12 and $16 an hour for each child.

Rest of the story here. Said nanny claims that she was "just getting a friend to help with the kids" and that she went to the farmer's market to pick up fruits and veggies for the family. But the kids were sure familiar with the unlicensed daycare lady and she with them.

 

[epiphany65]

Sometimes I'm glad I'm not a parent because the decision of who to trust your children with is so daunting. I've known too many people who've been abused by those who their parents thought they could trust, including other close relatives, to ever be able to trust anyone completely with a child. It's an unfortunate way to look at though, I know.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Missed this one. Wow. Crazy.

I rarely ever leave my kids with anyone who isn't family... and even at that, I don't leave them very often at all.

 

[tickledkitty]

Missed this one. Wow. Crazy.

I rarely ever leave my kids with anyone who isn't family... and even at that, I don't leave them very often at all.

Same here. Scary.