SAN ANTONIO – “Guilty” is the word 16 families have been waiting to hear after they paid Elena Moreno a collective $50,000 to make their deceased loved ones’ headstones.
Those headstones were never delivered, and Moreno stopped responding to the families.
This was the topic of an investigation Courtney Friedman began in February 2024.
After several stories, attempts to contact Moreno, and more than a dozen families coming forward, police arrested Moreno in March 2024 and charged her with felony theft.
WATCH BELOW: Woman pleads guilty in headstone fraud case
Last week, on Oct. 14, Moreno pleaded guilty in front of a judge and a group of victims who felt justice was being served for their loved ones.
“Josh, my stepson, he was so funny and always the cool kid that everyone wanted to be around. He was into making music and fashion,” Angela DiEnno said.
Josh died in February 2023 at just 20 years old.
His family wanted a custom headstone for him that showed off his personality, so they found a company called Angelic Monuments.
DiEnno sat with Friedman on Tuesday pointing out the sketch Moreno drew her when she paid almost $2,800.
DiEnno was one of the most outspoken victims, posting consistently on social media to find other people who were affected.
“You’re at a point where everyone is just broken and emotionally devastated and you feel like you can’t give anymore, and then someone comes and takes from you in that state and takes the memorial of your loved one,” DiEnno said. “You don’t get your stone; you don’t get your money back.”
The total listed in the reports is over $50,000, with one family paying more than $8,000 for their headstone.
That was a reminder Moreno got from Judge Stephanie Boyd on Oct. 14.
“Your charge is theft of property, $30,000 to $150,000 is a third-degree felony. Range of punishment is anywhere from two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine,” Boyd said to Moreno as she stood next to her attorney.
DiEnno sat in the back of the courtroom alongside other victims and listened to Moreno plead guilty to those charges.
“It was a little bit of relief, a little bit of satisfaction that she finally was saying to the judge, ‘I’m guilty.’ A little bit of closure some of us need. I know we need that,” DiEnno said.
Moreno has until her sentencing on Dec. 9 to pay each victim back in full.
“The cashier’s checks will need to be made out to the complainants individually,” Boyd said.
DiEnno said while that would be wonderful, there’s a bigger picture here.
“There’s just another huge side of it where it’s not even about the money,” she said. “It’s just taking from us emotionally as much as she did, so to see some justice on that.”
DiEnno and other victims plan to be at the sentencing hearing.
While DiEnno was able to get a headstone made from a different company for Josh, she said several families still do not have headstones for their loved ones.
Adriana Terrance was the first victim to come forward and bring the story to KSAT. After the guilty plea, she sent the following statement:
“Her Guilty Plea at least gives me a small sense of justice and makes me glad that she was caught and prevented from continuing to deceive and take advantage of other grieving families.
“The financial loss has been much more than what I actually paid her since her actions forced me to purchase a new headstone, pay filing fees for a civil lawsuit, and loss of wages due to the court proceedings.
“Above all, there is no financial value that can be placed on all the emotional distress and additional grief caused by this situation.”
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