A 44-year-old Florida woman, Veronica Torres, has been charged with filing a false public assistance claim after using her mother’s identity to apply for hurricane aid and receiving almost $8,000. Torres claimed that she had to move out of her home due to hurricane damage, but when she went to pick up the check, a city employee questioned her appearance compared to the age listed on the application. Torres tried to explain that she looked younger due to botox treatments, but was asked to return the next day and was subsequently arrested.
The case is not currently in online court records, and it is unknown if Torres has an attorney. She has posted bond and is now free. Bradenton, the city where Torres applied for the aid, was affected by hurricanes in September and October, with Hurricane Helene passing by in September and Hurricane Milton making landfall in Siesta Key in October. Bradenton is located on the western coast of Florida and has a population of around 55,000.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com
