EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Two El Paso men were arrested and charged with deceptive business practices in separate cases after investigators said they were targeting elderly victims involving home and vehicle repairs.
In one case, deputies said 53-year-old Jaime Montoya took nearly $800 and a vehicle from a 70-year-old victim after promising repairs, but never returning the car.
According to the El Paso County Constables’ office, on Feb. 11, the deputy conducting the investigation attempted to contact Montoya about the car. Investigators stated that Montoya acknowledged the notice police gave him, asked for the victim’s address again, and said he would meet the victim on Feb. 13 to return the vehicle, but failed to do so.
Montoya was then arrested in March and was already on probation for a similar offense. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a $20,000 bond for deceptive business practices.
In a separate case, investigators said 65-year-old Gary William Starr took more than $2,000 from an 82-year-old man to replace a water heater, but never completed the work or refunded the money.
According to the constables’ office, the man told investigators that on Feb. 27, his water heater stopped working and he sought a plumber to repair or replace it. He said he contacted CS Plumbing and that the owner, Starr, went to his home and got the water heater restarted.
The victim said Starr told him the heater had been turned back on, but had a leak and needed to be replaced. Starr offered to replace the water heater and suggested installing a tankless unit, quoting $3,500 for the job, according to investigators.
The victim paid $2,300 up front, with the remaining $1,200 due upon completion. The two agreed the water heater would be installed on March 3, but Starr failed to replace it and gave multiple excuses before beginning to ignore attempts to contact him, the constable’s office said.
Deputies later located and met with Starr, and investigators said he acknowledged the agreement, receiving payment by check, cashing the check, and failing to complete the work as agreed. Investigators said Starr made no efforts to complete the work or reimburse the victim.
Starr was then arrested on April 15 in Socorro. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a $4,500 bond for deceptive business practice and a $4,500 bond for theft of property of $750 or more but less than $2,500.
Authorities said both suspects have a history of similar crimes and urged residents to be cautious when hiring contractors, especially when elderly family members are involved.
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