Man says Phoenix mother accused of faking child’s brain cancer scammed him 3 times
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- A Phoenix mother and accused scam artist allegedly faked her child’s brain cancer to rip off donors. She’s now facing fraud charges, and since her arrest, more and more victims keep coming forward with stories of how she reportedly ripped them off. Angel Quihuis told Arizona’s Family that he and his girlfriend, who worked with the suspected fraudster’s husband, moved them into their home because they were living in a motel. In that time period, Quihuis said he was scammed three different times.
Quihuis said the first scheme happened when Monique Coria posed as a Live Nation employee and sold him tickets to see and meet the artist ‘Pitbull’ in 2021. “We went to the concert just to be told, these tickets are not valid,” said Quihuis. “I had my whole family, right there looking at me. It was one of the biggest embarrassments ever dude.”
Shortly after that, Quihuis said Coria tricked him again, this time, for a deposit for an English Bulldog he’s always wanted but never came. “That was my dream dog, wanted one. She showed me pictures of the male I wanted to get,” he said. “Still dogless, still ticketless.”
Lastly, Quihuis got duped again, this time for a Disneyland trip that never happened. “People are going to watch this and say, ‘how did she get you over three times?’” said Arizona’s Family reporter David Caltabiano. “I can say this. The people in my life, I trusted with my life, and I thought they were one of them, they lived across the hall. I saw them every day,” he said.
Eventually, Quihuis said he kicked Coria and her husband out of their home after $3,000 went missing. So he’s not surprised Coria allegedly tried scamming more people by pretending her baby girl had brain cancer for donations. “It did put a grin on my face knowing justice was finally served,” said Quihuis.
Quihuis said he regrets not going to the police after he was scammed. Tolleson police told Arizona’s Family that Coria is under investigation for another separate fraud scheme.
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