Posing as a boy not her only ruse, police say

EVERETT – Lorelei Corpuz’s deception didn’t end with her posing as a boy nearly half her age, police said Thursday.

She is now under investigation in connection with several fraud and theft cases, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

No new charges have been filed against Corpuz, 30. She remains in the Snohomish County Jail on $150,000 bail facing three sex-crime charges.

Corpuz is accused of beating and molesting a 14-year-old girl. The woman lived with the girl’s family off and on for more than 18 months. Corpuz posed as “Mark Villanueva,” a 17-year-old boy and the girl’s boyfriend.

Corpuz was arrested Sunday on a traffic warrant. A police investigation led to the sex crime charges.

The girl and her family said they didn’t know Corpuz was a woman until police told them a few days ago.

Corpuz’s criminal history includes a King County theft conviction in 2001.

In 2005, Corpuz was arrested by Renton police on a forgery investigation, said spokeswoman Penny Bartley. Police dropped the case because there wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge Corpuz.

The possible fraud charges came to Everett police independent of the weekend arrest, said Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz.

Banks regularly forward police packets of information regarding fraud cases, he said.

Everett police had received such a case with possible connections to Corpuz, he said.

At least one person called police to report that Corpuz stole money, he said.

Police also were trying to track down Corpuz’s relatives and were looking for a person they believe may be her mother in Hawaii, he said.

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.

If you suspect fraud or have information about Lorelei Corpuz (also known as “Mark Villanueva”), call Everett police at 425-257-8450.