Mother Shaves Daughter’s Hair, Declares Her A Cancer Patient Just To Raise Money

Authorities in Texas said they
arrested a mother accused of shaving her 7-year-old daughter’s head and
fraudulently claiming the child had cancer. The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office
said Juanita Garcia, 46, organized multiple fundraisers to obtain money she
claimed was needed for her 7-year-old daughter’s cancer treatments.

The sheriff’s office said a joint
investigation with Child Protective Services found Garcia would tell people in
person and on social media that the child was terminal and had only months to
live.

Authorities said Garcia went so
far as to shave her daughter’s head and actually convinced the child she was
suffering from the disease.

However, investigators said the
girl was actually in perfect health, and Garcia admitted during questioning
that she had made up the cancer story to scam money out of generous strangers.

The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s
Office has urged people to verify and confirm information from fundraisers that
they choose to participate in.

Garcia was booked into the Hidalgo
County Adult Detention Center on a felony charge of exploitation of a child.
She was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bond.