Homeless Shelter Under Investigation After Allegations Of Fraud

A local homeless shelter is under investigation after allegations of fraud and potential misuse of funds surfaced, City Manager Joyce Wilson said during the City Council’s Tuesday meeting.

The Family Crisis Shelter of El Paso run by Dame La Mano in Central El Paso was court-ordered to close in September because of possible hazardous living conditions, city officials said. Since then, allegations of fraud have surfaced.

Because of the ongoing investigation, the city cannot release previously approved federal grant money to the shelter.

“We do have one open case that we’re working with the district attorney’s office at this point,” Eric Shelton, an El Paso police assistant chief, told the city council after the shelter’s executive director told the city representatives that the case had been dismissed.

The director, Rosa Cabrera, said city Rep. Cortney Niland, who represents the district where the shelter is located, has it out for the shelter.

“She’s a lady that is out of control, acting unethical. She’s overpowering, trying to destroy our agency,” Cabrera said of Niland.

Cabrera alleges Niland prompted the police investigation — a claim the city said is completely false.

“There were no truth to any of the allegations made here today. The truth is that the Dame La Mano shelters are under investigation,” Niland said.

When the shelter was court-ordered to close, Niland went to the shelter to tell the homeless women she had found another place for them to stay. What happened on that meeting, depends on whom you believe.

“We had secured a place for them at the Salvation Army, and we just wanted to make sure they knew where they could go because I didn’t want anyone to end up on the street,” Niland said. She also said she was invited by Dame La Mano to visit the shelter.

Shelter officials have a different version of Niland’s visit.

“She went in there with the police, forcing, intimidating our residents. … Even our kids got traumatized when she went in there,” Cabrera said. Niland denies that characterization. So does Wilson.

“Representative Niland, whose district it is, went to the site, and a commander of the police department (assisted) in facilitating this relocation. That meeting resulted in some conflicts with the owner, who basically was trying to keep the site open until the last minute. Our goal was only to make sure the residents had an opportunity to find other locations and our moral obligation was to assist them,” Wilson said.

“When any of the people who I’m in charge of representing come to me with concerns of their safety, their public health, I’m going to make sure to do anything I possibly can to make sure that they are protected,” said Niland, who told ABC-7 some of the allegations being investigated by police were made by people staying at the shelter.

Dame La Mano officials deny any wrongdoing.

In a passionate interview with ABC-7, Cabreara said, “They didn’t find nothing, nothing!”