CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 79-year-old Houston woman is in a battle to regain ownership of five properties she said she never sold.
"I wasn't liable for selling those properties, I did not sell," Socorro Rodriguez told 6 Investigates. "I lose sleep over it and in the morning that's the first thing that pops. I cannot believe, I feel like this was a nightmare."
At the center of Rodriguez's claims is Daniel Esparza, who is also known as Daniel Saenz Jr.
He is the focus of a police report she filed in September.
In this report, Socorro Rodriguez alleges Daniel transferred her properties from her name into his.
Those properties are her only source of income, including an apartment complex she intended to pass down to her daughters.
WHO IS DANIEL ESPARZA, A.K.A. DANIEL SAENZ?
KRIS 6 News has previously reported on Daniel, as well as his use of different last names.
Just over a year ago, KRIS 6 News dug into claims that an organization, known as 361 Grants, was charging a fee that claimed to help Coastal Bend residents secure thousands of dollars in grants.
Daniel was the face of that organization.
The Corpus Christi Police Department said a case involving 361 Grants has been handed over to the Nueces County District Attorney's Office. We asked the DA's office for an update on this case, but it has not yet responded to requests for information.
361 Grants had been operating out of the El Barrio Food Pantry, which has now closed.
But, that pantry changed its name with the Texas Secretary of State to Manos Unidas of Corpus Christi. It is registered as a nonprofit corporation, and Internal Revenue Service records show it is not a 501c3.
RODRIGUEZ'S PROPERTIES
Text messages between Rodriguez and Daniel show his work fixing up two of these five properties and a document emailed to Rodriguez, on Manos Unidas of Corpus Christi letterhead, says she will not be financially responsible for "services and upgrades" provided.
"We understand that there may have been previous discussions or concerns regarding potential financial responsibilities related to the properties mentioned above," the letter states. "However, we want to clarify that there are no intentions on our part to place a lien on your properties or seek any financial compensation from you for the services and upgrades we have provided."
Emails and text messages also show Daniel asked Rodriguez for a copy of her ID in early September to complete an application to the state for a "community project."
Shortly after, Rodriguez sent him a copy of her driver's license.
"I said, 'I don't want problems,' and he said, 'No, no, you're not going to have problem. I guarantee it, you are not going to have any problems. Everything is in your favor.' So finally he convinced me with his sweet words," she said.
Rodriguez discovered several of her properties had been transferred to Daniel when Nueces County reached out to her. A notary had recorded the year 2027, rather than 2023, on one property, triggering a notice of correction.
Each of her properties has since been sold to various third-parties.
"I wasn't there on those days that they are claiming I signed those papers and everything," she said.
6 Investigates went searching for Daniel, but addresses on warranty deed documents filed with the county and the address on Manos Unidas documents were not his.
One address belonged to a local salon and the other was a private residence.
A woman at that salon is listed as a director of Manos Unidas of Corpus Christi, as is her 21-year-old son, according to documents filed with the Secretary of State.
She was able to put 6 Investigates on the phone with Daniel.
He said Manos Unidas has nothing to do with Rodriguez's claims.
"What does that organization even have to do with anything?" He asked. "They withdrew me from that organization right away from the start, from the beginning."
6 Investigates showed a notarized document on Manos Unidas of Corpus Christi letterhead to the woman, and her son, at the hair salon. They said they did not sign the document.
Rodriguez also said she didn't sign five documents filed with the Nueces County Clerk's Office. Each of these documents, and the Manos Unidas document, were notarized by the same woman, Linda Munoz.
This is the same woman who was the office secretary for 361 Grants and is also listed as a director of Manos Unidas of Corpus Christi.
Notaries are used to witness and legitimize signatures on legal documents. County clerks such as the Nueces County Clerk cannot refuse to file documents, like these warranty deeds, due to restrictions in the law.
6 Investigates tracked Munoz down at her home and tried to ask her about these documents, to no avail.
NAVIGATING THE LAW
Arnold Gonzales Jr. is a real estate attorney with over 35 years of experience dealing with "Dirty Deed" claims.
"It's a state felony to file a forged document and there are consequences to that," he said.
He said it takes very little effort to transfer deeds and tens of thousands of dollars to undo the transfer.
"This happens, it's easy for it to happen, and it's hard to correct," Gonzales said.
As 6 Investigates began looking into Rodriguez's allegations to police that her signature had been forged, Daniel sent a letter to KRIS 6 News demanding we "cease and desist from any and all forms of harassment directed towards me and all associated with me."
This letter was sent one day after Investigative Reporter Bryan Hofmann spoke with Daniel on the phone. During that conversation, he said, "You need to get your story straight before you air it, I swear to God, cause this time I am going after y'all."
In the meantime, Rodriguez just wants her properties back.
"It's something that you have worked so hard for, and then somebody else comes along," she said. "It's like a terrible nightmare that I want to wake from."
WHAT'S NEXT?
Nueces County Sheriff J.C. Hooper said the Corpus Christi Police Department is investigating these claims.
6 Investigates asked CCPD if it was investigating and the agency said it was working with the Nueces County Sheriff's Office to "determine the best approach."
Rodriguez is also looking into all legal remedies to get her properties back.
As this story develops, 6 Investigates will provide updates.
Daniel did email KRIS 6 Monday morning, claiming that an agreement was struck between Mrs. Rodriguez and himself. He claims she would give him her properties in exchange for work done at the apartment complex. Daniel claims she has not fulfilled her promise. These are the same properties that have already been filed under his name.
We did not reply to Daniel however, since he also reminded us about the cease-and-desist letter he already sent us, barring us from contacting him further.
It's easy to transfer properties, and difficult for the victims to fix, but there are ways that you can protect yourself and your investments.
"Consult a lawyer, first and foremost do a title search. There are companies all around Texas who do title searches on properties al around the state, and also obtain title insurance," Gonzales said.
The county also has an automated system for fraud alerts that you can easily set up for any properties you own, all you need to do is go to the county's website, create an account and input any name or property address that you want to monitor.
"Any time a document is filed in my office that has that name or that property address...that person will get alerted," Nueces County Clerk Kara Sands told KRIS 6. "It's just our way again of trying to empower people in Nueces county to take action to protect themselves. We are going to give you the tools, but you have to sign up. They will have to sign up in order to protect their property."
To sign up for alerts, you can click here.
