Scam Artists Spoil Family Parties, Detectives Say

Jose Contreras and his wife wanted to throw a big bash for their daughter’s baptism in April. After saving for six months, they came up with $1,200 to pay a man who said he would provide banquet services and a party hall in Rosemead.

Then they learned that he was a scam artist and that the hall they paid to rent is city-owned.

Two of the man’s alleged associates, arrested in a sting operation, were charged last week with four counts each of grand theft. Authorities were seeking Ricardo Pineda, an El Monte resident they believe dealt with the Contreras couple and masterminded the scam.

Eduardo Castaneda Villarruel, 38, and Norma Leticia Villalobos, 28, both of El Monte, were arrested at the Rosemead banquet hall as they tried to collect additional money from Contreras and an undercover detective posing as his cousin.

Inside the suspects’ car, detectives found fliers advertising party halls in Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, El Monte, Huntington Park, Highland Park, North Hollywood and Sun Valley. The fliers touted packages for weddings, baptisms and quinceaneras that included limousine service, videographers and security guards.

Four people said they paid $1,200 to $1,500 in cash to hold celebrations at the Rosemead Community Recreation Center’s banquet hall, according to Los Angeles sheriff’s detectives.

“We’re assuming that there’s probably another 100 victims” in the communities advertised in the fliers, said Deputy Mike Bayer. He said more victims will probably come forward next year because all of the bookings reported so far were for 2002 dates.

The suspects targeted non-English speakers such as Contreras, said Det. Jose Zarate of the sheriff’s Temple Station.

“It seemed like a good deal,” Contreras said in Spanish. “We were promised the hall, the limo and security. But what happened is we trusted someone who was an impostor. It feels bad because that was a lot of money for us.”

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Times staff writer Elena Gaona contributed to this report.