Riverside fortune teller accused of stealing thousands of dollars from multiple victims

A 31-year-old Riverside man who presented himself as a fortune teller able to rid people of curses and ailments but allegedly used sleight of hand and outright deception to steal thousands of dollars was out of custody today on a $57,000 bond.

The suspect was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of grand theft and theft by false pretenses. He was booked into the Robert Presley Jail but almost immediately posted bail and was released, according to the Riverside Police Department.

Agency spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said the Economic Crimes Unit initiated an investigation of the suspect over the summer after receiving complaints from individuals who alleged he had used trickery to take their money.

Railsback said the suspect operated out of an office in the 3500 block of Arlington Avenue and told visitors his name was "Carlos" and that he was originally from Colombia.

An alleged victim told authorities she had paid the suspect to have her future told, but during the session, he informed her that she and her children were in danger because of an unspecified curse, which he could remove for larger sums of money, according to Railsback. The woman eventually paid in excess of $50,000 for the suspect's voodoo sessions, which entailed use of tarot cards, altars, satanic symbols and a small python snake, Railsback said.

Sufficient evidence was gathered to justify a search warrant, which was served at the suspect's business, according to the police spokesman.

"While at the business conducting the search, several customers arrived and told detectives [the suspect] instructed them to bring their bed mattress from home," Railsback said. "They went on to say [the suspect] and his staff would cut open the mattress and claim to have found the live snake inside with demonic type items and letters stating the victims' family was in danger."

The snake was ultimately confirmed to be a pet housed in a container on the property, Railsback said. He said other victims had contacted the suspect after hearing advertisements in which he promised to lift curses causing "diabetes, headaches, sleep disorders and nightmares."

Detectives have since discovered that the suspect was caught perpetrating a similar scam in 2019 in Chicago, where he portrayed himself as a "faith healer," Railsback said.

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation was encouraged to contact detectives at 951-353-7117.