SAN ANTONIO — A man has been arrested, accused of scamming a disabled man out of tens of thousands of dollars.
The suspect preyed on the victim who is autistic, according to San Antonio police.
According to an arrest warrant, it started late last year when the victim stopped at a local gas station as part of his “normal routine.”
It was also the same day the victim met 52-year-old Demar Damon Jones.
Over the course of nearly two months, Jones is accused of spinning a web of lies, luring in the victim who had no idea at the time, his life was about to change.
According to police documents, the victim met Jones at a gas station in September of 2023.
Police said Jones told the 29-year-old man a sob story, saying he needed money for a hotel or his children would be left on the streets.
Detectives said in the arrest warrant, the victim thought he was doing the right thing, and sent money to Jones using Cash App.
Then, a few days later, Jones contacted the victim again asking for more money.
According to police documents, this pattern continued for the next straight 55 days where the victim sent Jones $37,807 in total in over 100 Cash App transactions.
Detectives said Jones told the victim a variety of stories as to why he needed the money.
According to the arrest affidavit, the stories “ranged from a variety of story-lines such as shelter care, car trouble, child support, bond money, funeral expenses, bills, dining, and gift expenses for the defendant’s children.”
The victim told police that Jones even tried to make him feel like he was party of the family, calling him ‘Uncle.’
Investigators said Jones promised he’d pay back all the money to the victim, and sent seven checks, but “every check was declined for insufficient funds,” according to the arrest warrant.
According to the arrest affidavit, detectives report Jones took advantage of the victim who suffers from cognitive challenges, “which result in poor decision making and often causes a state of confusion when making rational decisions.”
Officers said the incident drained the victim’s bank account, leaving him with a negative balance.
According to police documents, detectives later got a warrant to search Cash App records and found evidence that Jones tried to prey on other victims using the same story lines.
Jones was arrested Friday, and his bond was set at $10,000.
TRENDING:
> MORE ON KENS