Hialeah, FL - A Hialeah woman is facing charges after Miami-Dade police allege she staged a car accident last October to fraudulently collect insurance money.
Authorities say 21-year-old Lisandra Santana Herrero was arrested on Monday for her involvement in the alleged scheme.
Investigators with the Department of Financial Services uncovered the alleged fraud after Santana Herrero submitted falsified documents following a reported car accident on October 17th.
The accident, which occurred near Doral at the intersection of Northwest 72nd Avenue and 68th Street, involved a rear-end collision between a Chevrolet SUV driven by someone identified as "Ledesma" and another vehicle belonging to "Alvarez."
The accident report states Ledesma's car then veered off and struck a tree head-on.
Despite the reported severity of the crash, authorities found no injuries in either vehicle, raising suspicion.
Further investigation by Infinity Insurance's Special Investigation Unit and Impact General identified inconsistencies in the damage sustained by Ledesma's car and the reported events.
An analysis of the vehicle's airbag control module data revealed discrepancies, suggesting a staged collision rather than a genuine accident.
Investigators determined that Santana Herrero was not present in either vehicle during the accident.
Police allege that Santana Herrero filed fraudulent claims based on the staged crash and even sought medical treatment for her supposed injuries.
She was arrested on charges of insurance fraud, organized scheme to defraud, and grand theft under $20,000.