HARTFORD, Connecticut — A Hartford woman was arrested Thursday and charged with stealing more than $127,000 from Care4Kids, a childcare program financed by the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
Xiomy Auqui De La Cruz, 28, was arrested and charged with Larceny in the First Degree. She was released on a $60,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on August 9.
Officials said Auqui De La Cruz operates a home daycare called So Cute Daycare 1 in Hartford and owns the business, Bodeguita de la Gente, with her husband. In January, state officials investigated after receiving a complaint that Auqui De La Cruz opened home daycares using relatives’ names but the relatives were not operating the programs. She was also alleged to have forged the signatures of parents on Care4Kids documents. In turn, Care4Kids referred the matter to the Department of Social Services Investigations Division, which prompted the investigation into Auqui De La Cruz’s personal receipt of Care4Kids benefits.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Auqui De La Cruz received $127,461.73 in benefits from the Care4Kids program that she was not entitled to receive from May 2021 to April 2023 because she intentionally failed to accurately report that her husband resided in the home as he was a legally liable relative, making her ineligible to receive benefits.
Doug Stewart is the Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
