Murdered woman bilked by ‘adviser’
David Del Rio allegedly siphoned nearly $900K from an elderly couple.
The financial adviser to an 85-year-old Highland Beach widow found stabbed to death in her apartment on April 30 has been arrested on charges he stole nearly $900,000 from her and her husband, authorities said.
David Del Rio, 35, of Lehigh Acres, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Monday, charged with swindling Elizabeth “Betty” Cabral and her husband, William, who died at 88 in April 2017.
Lee County records show Del Rio was arrested there on Sept. 13 on a Palm Beach County warrant. Lehigh Acres is a community east of Fort Myers.
“It’s disgusting,” nephew Robert L. Cabral said Monday from suburban Tampa upon hearing of the charges. “A person in a position of responsibility takes advantage of people and steals their money.”
He said he had not heard of the arrest but had heard that Del Rio was a “person of interest.”
In court Monday at the Palm Beach County Jail, a judge ordered that Del Rio be held in lieu of $27,000 bail, but later ordered that he continue to be held in advance of some additional hearings.
“I’m going to enter a plea of not guilty, vigorously investigate it, and move forward,” defense attorney Michael Salnick said Monday. He also said Del Rio “was absolutely, and unequivocally, not involved in her (Betty’s Cabral’s) death.”
A Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office report says that after William Cabral developed in March 2015 a case of Alzheimer’s disease so profound that he couldn’t do daily activities or identify a niece by name, Del Rio got new wills executed that named him as sole beneficiary, He also got power of attorney for both Cabrals.
Then, between September 2016 and March 12 of this year, he allegedly siphoned $893,673 from
ing to a requested “welfare The affidavit said the coucheck” but have not said for ple “were financially well-off whom or otherwise elabo- when they retired to Palm rated. Beach County due to frugal the Cabrals’ bank account A one-page PBSO report living and modest lifestyles, into corporate accounts he showed Betty Cabral had in addition to astute investhad opened. been fatally stabbed by some- ments and savings.”
The report does not men- one who stole her car. The It said Betty Cabral “had tion any potential murder Sheriff ’s Office has withheld expressed concern to her charges or comment on Betty dozens of pages of its report, caretaker and other family Cabral’s death except to say citing its incomplete investi- members about her unexthat “the investigation congation of the slaying. plained dwindling monies.” tinues.” A Broward County SherDel Rio faces two counts
Betty Cabral’s murder was iff’s Office report says of exploitation of the elderly just the second in the 69-year Cabral’s silver 2013 Hyun- for $50,000 or more, two history of the 1-square-mile dai Sonata later was found counts of money laundertown of about 3,500, along abandoned in a field near ing of $100,000 or more, the oceanfront between Boca Atlantic Boulevard and Flor- six counts of identify theft of Raton and Delray Beach. ida’s Turnpike, west of Pom$5,000 or more, one count
Neighbors returning from pano Beach. That’s about 15 of identity theft of $50,000 dinner the evening of April miles southwest of Cabral’s or more, one count of fraud 30 found the door to Cabral’s condo. The report said the of $50,000 or more and 16 fifth-floor condominium at car’s keys were on its floor- counts of larceny between Penthouse Highlands, along boards. $10,000 and $50,000 from the Intracoastal Waterway, According to the state a person 65 or older. was open and was filled with attorney’s affidavit, the A Palm Beach County sherHighland Beach police offi- Cabrals, after retiring full iff ’s spokesman could not cers. time to Palm Beach County immediately provide infor
Highland Beach quickly from the Boston area in mation on the case. asked the Palm Beach County 1996, had befriended Del
Sheriff ’s Office to take over. Rio, who worked at a bank
The Sheriff ’s Office has said where they’d transferred authorities were respond- their accounts.