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Convicted Miami scammer now accused of fake rape claim, attempted murder

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Convicted Miami scammer now accused of fake rape claim, attempted murder


HIALEAH, Fla. – A woman convicted of multiple felonies for scamming thousands of dollars from prospective Miami apartment renters is now in even more serious trouble — this time in Hialeah.

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Local 10 News first reported on Valerie Meza-Faublack in 2022, when she donned the alter ego “Hamanda” and lied to multiple would-be renters about the availability of a Little Havana apartment so she could steal thousands in security deposits.

Now, the 23-year-old is accused of lying about being raped and firing more than a dozen gunshots at the man she claimed did it — all while on probation for the scamming spree.

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Meza-Faublack, of Hollywood, is now facing charges including armed robbery and attempted murder following her arrest on Wednesday.

According to the Hialeah Police Department, officers responded to a warehouse parking lot at 490 W. 18th St. just after 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 6 for what they thought was a sexual battery and shooting investigation.

An arrest report states that Meza-Faublack claimed she met a man, originally viewed as the suspect, outside of her workplace: the Rainbow Restaurant off West Eighth Avenue.

Police said she claimed he drove her to the parking lot, where he took out a gun, forced her to pull her pants down, raped her, then “dragged her out of the driver side door by her hair” and fired shots at her while she was escaping. They said they learned the next day, however, that Meza-Faublack refused to let staff at the Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center perform a rape kit on her.

Authorities said the man told them that he met Meza-Faublack, whom he didn’t know, at a bar. The report states she asked him if he wanted to leave the bar with her and he agreed.

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The two went to the parking lot and undressed to have sex, he told police.

“As the victim attempted to climb into the rear passenger seat of the motor vehicle, (Meza-Faublack) unlawfully took possession of his firearm, which was in the driver compartment area, and began shooting into the vehicle where he was occupying the rear passenger seat,” the report states. “After the shooting stopped, (the) victim advised he exited the vehicle, physically retrieved the firearm from (her) and fled the scene.”

Authorities said they interviewed Meza-Faublack again on Wednesday. She claimed, police said, that she had paid the victim $20 to charge her phone in his vehicle. She said he then drove her to the parking lot, where he raped her — but not at gunpoint — then tried to rape her again. The report states she told detectives that she then convinced the man to “let her go urinate outside.”

Much of the rest of her statement was redacted, but detectives later noted that Meza-Faublack said “once she saw the victim retrieved his firearm, she ran to the front passenger side door and attempted to open it” to get her cellphone.

Detectives said they were “able to disprove” Meza-Faublack’s accounts of the incident and corroborate the victim’s account, after viewing surveillance video clips.

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Police described in the report what the clips showed:

“In the videos, the defendant (Meza-Faublack) is seen exiting from the front passenger seat on her own, as she is removing her own blue jacket and opens the right-rear passenger door. The defendant then throws her jacket into the front passenger seat and left both passenger doors open. The defendant voluntarily walks around the rear of the vehicle and goes to the driver side door, where she met with the victim.

The defendant is then seen standing in between the open driver side door and the doorway for several minutes with her pants still properly on. After a brief time, the victim and the defendant enters the vehicle via the left side and all four doors are seen being closed from the occupants inside the vehicle. The defendant and the victim remained inside the vehicle for several minutes.

Shortly thereafter, the defendant exits the vehicle through the driver side door and immediately began shooting into the occupied vehicle. After the shooting, the victim is seen exiting from the left-rear passenger door and a physical struggle for the firearm from the defendants grasp ensued.

After the victim retrieved his empty firearm from the defendant, the defendant ran back to the front passenger door and attempted to open the door as the victim re-entered his vehicle. The victim ultimately fled the scene without the defendant. Investigation revealed the defendant fired 15 shots at the victim as he was inside his vehicle.”

Hialeah Police Department arrest report, spaced into separate paragraphs for readability

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Apparently, none of the 15 shots hit the man.

Authorities arrested Meza-Faublack on the aforementioned armed robbery and attempted murder charges, as well as counts of felon in possession of a firearm, shooting or throwing a deadly missile and filing a false police report. She’s pictured in her Miami-Dade mugshot bearing a lower neck tattoo reading “Love.”

Jail records show she’s being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Thursday.

The Venezuelan national also has an immigration hold.

Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.

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Miami, FL

Miami Area Gets First New Manufactured Home Community in Decades

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Miami Area Gets First New Manufactured Home Community in Decades


Miami-Dade County is one of the most desirable places to live in the country, but its median listing price of $595,868 is pushing many everyday people out of the market.

That’s why an affordable alternative is drawing attention.

Cottage Grove, a manufactured housing community under construction in South Miami-Dade, will feature 349 single-family homes with prices starting at just $129,900. It will be the first new manufactured housing development in Miami-Dade in decades.

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“The interest has been tremendous,” Ross Partrich, the CEO of RHP Properties, which owns Cottage Grove, tells Realtor.com®. “The market is showing there’s a real need—we’ve had over 1,000 inquiries.”

RHP Properties has built manufactured housing communities across 31 states, including Florida, but this is its first project in Miami-Dade.

“Cottage Grove addresses a critical gap in the housing supply at a time when rising home prices and construction costs are putting homeownership out of reach for many families and when supply is shrinking due to redevelopment,” says Partrich.

The entrance to Cottage Grove, a new manufactured housing communityRHP Properties

According to the Manufactured Housing Institute, approximately 22 million Americans reside in manufactured homes. These homes are faster and cheaper to build.

“There’s much less waste and more precision when you’re building in a factory,” says Partrich. “The economies of scale are better, and we’re passing on the savings to our residents.”

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About the community

At Cottage Grove, homeowners will own their houses but lease the land beneath them, paying $1,445 a month in lot rent.

Partrich says residents of the community will enjoy five-star amenities.

“That includes a beautifully maintained pool with a large sun deck, contemporary clubhouse, fitness center, yoga and lounge rooms, scenic biking and walking trails, and serene gazebos,” he says.

While many manufactured housing communities in Florida are age-restricted to 55 and older, this 92-acre community will welcome residents of all ages.

“The playground, expansive green spaces, and gated entrance add to the community’s appeal for families,” says Partrich.

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Partrich says people have already begun putting down deposits on the homes—each of which has four bedrooms and is around 1,600 square feet.

“They’re spacious, with open floor plans, multiple living areas, and kitchens equipped with stainless-steel appliances and islands,” he explains.

The first group of homes is expected to be completed and move-in-ready by late summer.

Cottage Grove in South Miami-Dade, FL, prepares lots for the manufactured homes to be installedRHP Properties
The swimming pool at Cottage GroveRHP Properties

Durability and long-term value

In hurricane-prone Florida, durability and safety are key considerations.

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Homes in Cottage Grove meet a set of quality standards from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

They’re set on concrete foundations, and Partrich says they’re able to withstand hurricane-force winds—which gives residents added peace of mind.

Over the past seven years, manufactured homes sold without land have appreciated by 51.6%, according to the Realtor.com Perks of the Park: Mobile Homes as an Affordable Alternative Report.

By comparison, median single-family homes rose 58.6% over the same period.

“Financing has typically been more challenging to obtain on manufactured homes, with fewer lenders and higher interest rates,” Florida real estate agent Cara Ameer tells Realtor.com.

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“Most manufactured housing communities use land leases, adding a monthly fee that can make it harder for some buyers to qualify or stay long-term. As a result, appreciation has historically been more limited,” Ameer explains.

But Florida real estate broker Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties, says he believes manufactured houses will only continue to rise in popularity, especially in the Sunshine State.

“Stronger manufactured homes are going to be big,” he says. “The reason is that people just want a piece of the American dream and don’t want to be stuck in rentals. These, in many cases, are stepping-stone communities that let someone get started and not be forced to move two counties away. It solves the problem of homeownership, individual placement, and a sense of community.”

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Miami, FL

Four Convicted in Miami for Roles in Killing of Haiti President

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Four Convicted in Miami for Roles in Killing of Haiti President


Four men were convicted in Miami for their roles in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse that further destabilized the government and led to years of violence in the country.

Jurors returned guilty verdicts Friday against the men, who prosecutors said had organized the plot using Colombian mercenaries and Haitian gang members to violently oust Moïse and replace him with a friendly successor to allow them to obtain lucrative contracts with the government. The group helped supply equipment from Florida to aid in the killing, prosecutors said.



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Miami, FL

Future of Miami historic landmark continues in limbo after redevelopment plan rejected by zoning board

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Future of Miami historic landmark continues in limbo after redevelopment plan rejected by zoning board



The fight over the future of the Coconut Grove Playhouse continues after a controversial redevelopment plan was rejected by a city zoning hearing on Wednesday.

The historic landmark, built in 1927, has been a dilapidated eyesore since it closed its doors in 2006. Developers had previously come in for renovations, but the project stalled following a partial collapse. The site is currently covered under a black tarp as the city continues to disagree on its final plans.

The city zoning hearing reviewing the proposal for the Coconut Grove Playhouse went late into the night on Wednesday. Miami-Dade County leaders plan to redevelop the site into an open campus with a new theater, shops, and parking. However, not all residents are for it.

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“This is a place that is a treasure in Coconut Grove,” said Carl Hawks, a Coconut Grove resident.

Marlene Erven, with the Coconut Grove Women’s Club, explained the neighborhood’s concerns.

“We are fighting to preserve as much as we can for the intent of the property, which is a cultural use and to help the neighborhood be protected from the commercial intrusion of all of the development,” Erven said.

In the end, the plan was rejected, which thrilled residents like Erven.

“I think yesterday was a win to some extent for saving the Playhouse and the residents of West Grove,” Erven said.

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While most “Grovites” disagree with the county’s major plan, they do say something needs to be done, all while keeping the history of the site alive.

The developers will now have to return to the drawing board. It is unknown when those new plans will be presented. The saga of the Coconut Grove Playhouse continues.



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