Woman arrested after allegedly stealing deposits from prospective tenants: police

Lariza Resendez Lopes, 26, of Toronto is wanted for Fraud Under $5000 and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5000. (TPS)

Police have arrested a woman who allegedly advertised apartments for rent and then pocketed deposits from prospective tenants.

Police say that a suspect advertised apartments on various websites between June and August of last year.

It is alleged that the suspect would then ask prospective tenants to provide a deposit to secure the unit.

After the money was handed over, police say that the victims would be contacted advising them that the apartment was no longer available.

Those victims then subsequently learned that the suspect was not authorized to show or rent the apartments in the first place, police say.

Last week police issued an arrest warrant for the suspect and released her image publicly.

In a news release on Tuesday, police confirmed that a suspect has now been taken into custody.

Lariza Resendez Lopes, 26, of Toronto, has been charged with eight counts of fraud under $5,000 and eight counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.

She is due in court on May 6.

Police continue to investigate and are asking anyone with information to contact investigators.