County Attorney Press Releases

FAMILY AFFECTED BY RECENT FLOODS FALL VICTIM TO DECEITFUL CONTRACTORS

Police initiates search for wanted contractors

            El Paso Count Attorney José R. Rodríguez announced today that he has obtained arrest warrants against two contractors accused of taking advantage of a Northeast El Paso family that was trying to repair their home after the recent floods.

32-year-old Joseph Arroyos and 29-year-old Claudia Gisela Ramirez, of 9316 Cannes Circle, face charges of deceptive business practice, a class ‘A' misdemeanor, punishable with a fine not to exceed $4,000 and/or up to 365 days in jail.

According to the complaint affidavit, on October 10, 2006 Rosa Vasquez hired Arroyos and Ramirez, doing business as "Dreams Come True Construction", to repair the roof of her house that was seriously damaged by rain. The victim had received 2 checks from her insurance company to pay for the repairs. On that date she gave the first check in the amount of $993 to Joseph Arroyos. Almost a week later, a group of workers from "Dreams Come True Construction" showed up at her residence on 5545 Prince Edward to remove some damaged shingles from the roof, but the work was left unfinished after an Inspector that was passing thru the neighborhood advised them to stop the work because they did not have the proper vehicle to transport the shingles and they lacked the permits to fix the roof. The workers left leaving the shingles all over her yard as well as hundreds of nails, creating a dangerous situation. Vasquez said nobody from "Dreams Come True Construction" ever came back to her house to finish the job. The home was left in inhabitable conditions, and that caused Ms. Vasquez to spend all her savings to hire a second company to make other repairs. As a result, she is suffering financial hardship during this holiday season. "There is no money left to buy presents for my children," said Ms. Vasquez, "We used it all to fix the roof.  The house has still not been repaired by the contractor."

                        Joseph Arroyos has an extensive criminal history accompanied by complaints from individuals who paid him for services that were never rendered, including a second outstanding warrant for a repair contract on a house in the North Loop area this year, and 5 pending criminal charges for deceptive business practices for operating contracts under the business name "CJ Construction" and "C and J Construction." Arroyos also has an outstanding contempt of court warrant for unpaid child support. According to court records up to today he owes over $40,000 in unpaid child support.

            "The case of Rosa Vasquez has been a nightmare for her family," said County Attorney José R. Rodríguez "This case is another example of why it is very important not to give money upfront for work. We need the community's help in locating these two wanted individuals, to put a stop to all their scams," explained Rodríguez.

If you have information that could lead to the arrest of Joseph Arroyos and Claudia Gisela Ramirez, you are asked to please contact the El Paso Police Department at 564-7000.

If you feel you have been victim of a scam on the hands of an unscrupulous contractor, please contact the police department or call the County Attorney's Office, at 546-2050.

Contractors Wanted Press Release.pdf 

-30-

v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} 800x600  


      Joseph Arroyos                     Claudia Gisela Ramirez

 

v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}