Sioux City police arrested a woman they say deceived a person into granting custody of her two teenage children.
Police say the woman led the victim to believe she was under investigation by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services on allegations of child abuse.
39-year-old Anna Perez-Joaquin, of Sioux City, was arrested for the bogus crime on Dec. 29, KTIV reported.
Perez-Joaquin is also accused of posing as an attorney seeking child support through both emails and messages.
Apparently, the victim dished out nearly $12,000 over a four-month time span.
The woman also had planned to move the children to Mexico and went as far as sending a person who acted like a social worker to the victim’s house in support of her ill-hearted scheme.
Perez-Joaquin faces a first-degree theft, and extortion charge.
