SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.  – A mother and her son were arraigned today on auto insurance fraud charges in connection with a traffic accident that occurred in the City of Ontario.

On Feb. 21, 2012, Lorenzo Anthony Villela, 21, of Ontario, was involved in a minor traffic accident in the City of Ontario and could not locate current proof of auto insurance to provide to the other driver.  Villea called his mother, Rosie Maria Tachiguin, 41, from the accident scene to notify her that their insurance had expired.

According to Senior Investigator Ed Nyberg, shorlty after the accident, Tachiguin obtained insurance for the vehicle and later filed a false claim with insurance provider Esurance.

Esurance contacted the San Bernardino County District Atorney's Auto Insurance Fraud Prosecution Unit and requested they investigate the possible auto insurance fraud committed by Tachiguin and her son, Villela.

As a result of the investigation, felony charges were filed against Tachiguin and Villea.

“This is yet another example of people avoiding the legal requirement to purchase and provide automobile insurance and then not being honest when they are involved in an accident,” said Deputy District Attorney Colleen Goggin, who is assigned to the case. “Drivers need to realize, it’s an infraction and/or misdemeanor to not provide proof of insurance coverage at the scene of an accident, but it can become a felony to lie to an insurance company.”