An 86-year-old Brownsville woman said she’s been depressed ever since a man swindled her out of more than $61,000.

Minerva Rodriguez said she thought the man, identified as Alejandro Diaz Hernandez, was a contractor who was hired to repair her sewer system.

Hernandez is now behind bars on theft charges.

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“Now I feel sad, I feel like I don't know if that money will come or not,” Rodriguez said. “Only God knows."

Rodriguez said she thought Hernandez was a Cameron County contractor. She hired him after a friend referred her to him in 2023.

“The man was going to do some work for her,” Rodriguez said. “I wanted to install a drain too, and he said, 'well, if you want, I’ll do it for you.' That

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