Elderly exploitation victim uses his story to warn other vulnerable seniors

Story by Shawna Khalafi

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Last month, FOX5 introduced you to Robert Cartagena — a 92-year-old man with dementia, who was taken advantage of and scammed out of thousands of dollars.

Now, he’s warning his elderly community to beware of who you trust.

“A lot of it I’ve forgotten, which is probably the best thing in the long run,” said Cartagena.

Cartagena is back with his neighbors-turned-family at Las Vegas Jaycees Senior Community Park after he was taken advantage of, scammed out of thousands of dollars, and left alone in an unfamiliar place without identification.

“One of our residents was exploited by someone that he trusted, and he lost everything. He lost his home, he lost his money, he was basically dropped off at a hospice to die with only the clothes on his back,” said Rob Deken, Community Manager at Las Vegas Jaycees Senior Community Park.

In 2023, Cartagena gave one of his neighbors financial Power of Attorney to help him manage his daily life.

Instead, he says she took it over, racked up charges on his credit card, even sold his house, and kept some of the profits.

“Somebody took over my life and just brought me out there to nowhere’s land that I didn’t know anybody. In a nutshell, that’s just about what it is, taking advantage of somebody else who can’t help themselves,” he said.

Now, Cartagena is sharing his story as a warning to other vulnerable seniors.

“Be aware. That’s the main thing is be aware, especially when you get to our age.”

He hosted a gathering at Las Vegas Jaycees Senior Community Park Saturday to educate his neighbors about the red flags and resources available.

“They’ve been asking about him some people thought he was dead. So we wanted to get him out here so everybody that he’s still here,” said Deken. “He’s not doing as well as he was before this lady got a hold of him, but he’s doing better than when we picked him up.”

Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft also helped organize Saturday’s exploitation education event.

The neighbor who allegedly exploited Cartagena is set to appear in court this month on a felony charge of exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable person. If convicted, she could face up to five years in prison and ten thousand dollars in fines, plus restitution.

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Elderly exploitation victim uses his story to warn other vulnerable seniors