ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — The owners of two senior assisted living facilities in North County face multiple felony charges after being accused of labor trafficking and stealing wages from undocumented Filipino healthcare workers.
Rolando “Bobby” Solancho Corpuz, 57, and Maria Elsabel Sio Corpuz, 41, were arrested last week and arraigned on Thursday. They're facing three counts of human trafficking and three counts of wage theft.
The couple pleaded not guilty, and if convicted, they face a maximum of 19 years and four months in prison.
The San Diego County District Attorney's Office said that the couple ran Rose Garden Assisted Living in Vista and Rose Garden Capo in Escondido.
"A husband and wife took advantage of the immigration status of their workers, forcing them to work around the clock, literally 24 hours a day, with complete disregard for California's minimum wage and overtime laws. They were paid less than $7 an hour," San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said.
Stephan said the couple also preyed on the workers' hopes of becoming United States citizens.
"They withheld a portion of her meager wages every month, promising to pay an immigration attorney to help her gain full legal status," Stephan said.
The investigation began last year when an undocumented Filipino worker reached out to the Pilipino Workers Center, a nonprofit that provides legal support and services for Filipino workers in low-wage industries like home care.
According to Stephan's office, the victim worked at Rose Garden in Vista and Rose Garden Capo in Escondido from May 2023 until June 2024. The release goes on to say that "the victim was required to live at the facility and share a room with one of the patients. The victim would cook, clean, feed, bathe, and change the diapers of the patients. The victim was required to administer medication to patients as well as give patients insulin injections, even though the victim did not possess certifications or training that qualify her as a caregiver."
"Human trafficking does not look like someone who is chained in place or with physical bars often. Today, human trafficking, labor trafficking, um, is modern-day slavery," Pilipino Workers Center Executive Director, Aquilina Soriano Versoza, said. "No matter their immigration status, they have rights as workers. Here in California, especially, workers' rights are very protected. It doesn't matter what your immigration status is. If you did the work, you deserve at least the minimum wage for all of your overtime. You have a right to paid days off for sick days as well, and you have the right not to be retaliated against."
Stephan said an audit by the Department of Industrial Relations determined the victim who came forward is owed more than $175,000 in unpaid wages, according to the District Attorney's Office.
The District Attorney's Office believes there may be more victims at the Vista and Escondido facilities. Anyone with information is asked to contact the lead investigator at 619-531-3515.
