Apartment owners stunned by Pasco manager’s alleged theft, worry about more
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Juan M. Ramirez charged with first-degree theft from a vulnerable adult; $28,000 alleged.
- Police alerted owners; they worry other rent payments didn’t reached their accounts.
- Prodigy is auditing records and working with the owners and police to check for losses.
When the Terrace Heights apartment owners learned a tenant was bilked for thousands, they were shocked. Now they’re working with police to determine if money is missing or other renters were wrongly charged.
“We are very, very conscientious, and we want to make sure that our property is in the best shape possible,” co-owner Monica Malhan told the Tri-City Herald. “We treat everybody equally and with respect.”
Malhan and her husband, told the Herald they want to find out if others were overcharged after learning that Juan M. Ramirez, 30, allegedly took $28,000 in wrong payments from an autistic tenant.
Ramirez, who worked for Prodigy Property Management, is charged with first-degree theft from a vulnerable adult. He is out of custody on $15,000 bail.
The Malhans said they didn’t know much about Ramirez before learning of the suspected theft. While the couple owns the 73,000-square-foot apartment building, they leave the management to Prodigy Property Management.
They said Ramirez approached the company looking for work after moving from Yakima. The company had an opening for a part-time manager and hired him.
She said Prodigy is conducting an audit of their records after discovering that rent payments were recorded, but the money may not have made it to their accounts. They and Prodigy are working with police to report any discrepancies they find, she said.
$28,000 in fake charges
The Malhans didn’t suspect anything was wrong until Pasco police officers contacted them last month. The victim’s parents reported that their son was charged $28,000 for “damage” to a Spectrum cable.
The incident stemmed from damage caused when the tenant was moving a couch into the apartment. The Malhans said they never intended to charge the tenant for the damage, but Ramirez allegedly approached the man and demanded a $1,600 money order on June 4, 2025. After getting the money, he kept demanding weekly $800 payments.
The victim, who has difficulty making decisions on his own, lives with his girlfriend, who is also impaired, said court documents.
“It is very apparent after brief interactions with either person that they are developmentally disabled and not able to fully comprehend the extent/validity of authority unless explicitly explained,” Officer Maricela Garcia-Ramirez wrote the affidavit of probable cause.
Prodigy has promised to make sure the victim and the Malhans are repaid, said Monica Malhan.
Ramirez has denied requiring the payments, and has pleaded innocent to the criminal charges.