Man Allegedly Steals $4K from 83-Year-Old Woman

Jose G. Quesada III, 35, address unknown, was arrested June 13 following an incident in March in which he allegedly promised to do home repairs for an 83-year-old Beverly Road resident; he took more than $4,000 as a “deposit” but did no work, according to police.

Quesada arrived unsolicited at the complainant’s house in the 800 block of Beverly Road on March 30, according to the affidavit of probable cause. Once at the residence, Quesada told the complainant that she was in need of a new roof — to the tune of $8,275. The complainant then provided Quesada with a personal check in the amount of $4,000 as a deposit; Quesada had performed repairs for the woman in the past. 

The two made an agreement in which Quesada would begin work on April 16, according to the affidavit. On April 9, Quesada returned to the Beverly Road home and told the woman that she needed another $725 to cover the cost of shingles; the complainant then turned over another check to Quesada, police said.

Quesada did not show up to perform work on April 16, according to police. The complainant waited a few days and made several phone calls to Quesada that went unanswered. The complainant called her bank and the bank said Quesada cashed both checks. 

This isn’t Quesada’s first run-in with the law. Earlier in March, he was arrested in Abington for stealing a wallet from the person who was driving him to the train station. According to the report, that complainant hired Quesada for several years as a maintenance man. 

According to court documents, Quesada was also arrested in Philadelphia in May for possession with Intent to manufacture or deliver drugs; he pled guilty to theft and criminal conspiracy in Montgomery County in 1996; he pled guilty to a separate theft arrest in 1996; and was arrested in January of this year for DUI.

Quesada will be formally arraigned for the March 30 incident on Aug. 15.