In another story of psychic powers gone wrong, Jackeline Lopez of Palmdale, Calif. is accused of concocting an evil curse for even eviler purposes.

Police believe she encouraged a 12-year-old girl to steal $10,000 worth of jewelry from her parents. The jewelry was supposed to help remove the faux curse, but instead ended up in local pawn shops.

That, of course, was after the victim placed it in a cauldron and Lopez would perform a made-up ritual.

Lopez told the girl she was a psychic and could see a horrible curse had been placed on her family, reports Pasadena Star-News.

She further explained that she could remove the curse for a price, and asked the 12-year-old to bring her jewelry. The removal would always “fail,” and Lopez would then ask for more payment.

Police booked Lopez on suspicion of extortion, which doesn’t exactly jive with California law.

Extortion is the acquisition of property or money, with the owner’s consent, through force or threat. To be charged with extortion in California, a person must threaten to:

  • Injure the victim, the victim’s property, or a third party;
  • Accuse the victim or his relatives of a crime;
  • Expose a harmful and embarrassing secret about the victim or his relatives; or
  • Accuse the victim or his relatives of having a harmful and embarrassing secret.

Lopez allegedly told the girl that supernatural forces were going to bring harm to her and her family. She doesn’t seem to have threatened to carry out the harm herself. These actions don’t exactly fit into the above categories.

None of this is to say that Jackeline Lopez didn’t commit a crime. Her alleged actions were certainly criminal. They just appear to fall under the fraud statutes as opposed to those that deal with extortion. In any event, expect this psychic’s actions to be dealt with in court. 

Related Resources:

  • Psychic said stealing jewelry would remove curse, sheriff says (Los Angeles Times)
  • Extortion (FindLaw)
  • Author Jude Deveraux Bilked for $20M by Fortune Tellers’ Scam? (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)

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