Angie Lopez jumped at the chance to get involved when she got a call from the Tarrant County fire marshal’s office asking her to help investigate altered inspection reports for a Forest Hill church hall where weddings and quinceañeras were canceled at the last minute.

Lopez, a Southlake fire inspector, uncovered a scam in which the events hall manager changed inspection dates and added code violations on documents, forcing families and couples to use outdoor pavilions and other venues that were not what they paid for. In some cases, they could not even find a place to hold their event. Additionally, they lost the money they had paid to rent the church hall.

Lopez was recently recognized by Tarrant County commissioners and the Southlake City Council for her efforts.

Jose Rios, who managed the St. Joseph Hall in Forest Hill, was indicted in December on three felony counts of tampering with government documents.

Jason Bowes, an attorney representing Rios, declined to comment on the indictment, but said that a court date hasn’t been set for his client.

Keith Ebel, deputy fire marshal for Tarrant County, said he was surprised when families and couples contacted his office to ask why events were canceled on short notice.

The fire marshal’s reports were changed to show different inspection dates and nonexistent code violations such as no smoke detectors or sprinkler systems that weren’t listed on the fire marshal’s original reports, he said.

“The person would knock on the door the night before a wedding or quinceañeras and say I’m sorry, the fire marshal canceled the event. You’re talking about a lot of money and plane tickets,” he said.

Ebel said he worked with Lopez previously, and knew she was a good fit for the investigation.

Lopez said she understands the language, the culture and the importance of quinceañeras and weddings in the Hispanic culture.

“These families don’t have a lot of money,” Lopez said. “They’ve been saving for years.”

She said in many cases, the husband is the head of the household and works while the wife stays at home.

A quinceañeras is an elaborate ceremony where a 15-year-old girl celebrates her transition to becoming a young woman. The event can last for several days and families invite large groups of relatives and friends to attend.

Lopez said the families told her about Rios moving them to different places such as an outdoor pavilion in the summertime or simply canceling the event.

“They were extremely disappointed, and they couldn’t understand how someone could do that. It affects them emotionally,” she said.

Ebel said some families were out as much as $15,000 to $25,000.

Lopez and Ebel said they are concerned that there are victims who haven’t come forward because they are undocumented, and worried about their immigration status.

“We never had any question about immigration. They’ve been victimized. They don’t need to be victimized twice,” Ebel said.

This story was originally published March 18, 2022 11:29 AM.