Florida Woman Who Used Elderly Mother's Identity to Apply for Hurricane Funds Claimed Botox Made Her Look Younger: Police

A Florida woman attempted to collect a nearly $8,000 check made out to her elderly mother from a hurricane disaster assistance program then blamed her Botox when she was questioned about her age.

Veronica Torres, 44, applied for the City of Bradenton's Hurricane Disaster Assistance Program using her elderly mother's identity—without her knowledge—and was granted almost $8,000, according to reporting by Fox 13.

When she went to pick up the check, however, a city employee questioned Torres's identity and contacted the police before she could walk away with the money.

"I believe the employee had asked a question that, 'You don't look like the person who is in this information,'" Meredith Censullo, the Bradenton Police Department's public information officer told Fox 13. "And Ms. Torres said, 'It's just my Botox.'"

Censullo hailed the city employee for reporting the incident.

"There are a lot of people in our community with an actual need," she shared. "And had she gotten away with this, that's money that could have gone to another hurricane victim who actually legitimately needs it."

Torres was arrested on Friday and charged with filing a false public assistance claim.