Tatiana Correa Peña, 36, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, United States is the daughter of Enrique Gutierrez Rivera, 54, and Luz Maria Peña Lopez, 55. Gutierrez is a municipal police officer in the municipality.
Luz Maria and Tatiana are accused of forcing an intellectually disabled adult woman to panhandle for money, engage in criminal and fraudulent activities for their financial benefit and perform domestic labor in their shared residence in Carolina. The suspects allegedly deprived the victims of basic hygiene and medical care, provided her with drugs and unprescribed medication, isolated her and physically beat and restrained her.
At times, Luz Maria and Tatiana allegedly used belts, broomsticks and cables to physically beat the victim and locked her inside overnight. The two suspects allegedly restricted the victim’s ability to leave their residence by forcing her to sleep in a space formerly used to house goats and roosters.
The victim was reportedly subjected to threats of violence and document servitude. Her monthly Social Security disability benefits were allegedly converted by Luz Maria and Tatiana for their own personal use and Rivera was allegedly aware of it.
On October 21, 2025, Rivera, Luz Maria and Tatiana were arrested. He was charged with misprision of a felony related to his knowledge, failure to report and concealment of Luz Maria and Tatiana’s misuse of the victim’s Social Security benefits.
Both Luz Maria and Tatiana were charged with forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor. In addition, the mother was charged with document servitude.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. attorney Daynelle Alverez and trial attorney Jessica Arco of the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice are prosecuting the case.
Harmeet K. Dhillon is an assistant attorney general at the Civil Rights Division. He stated that the U.S. Department of Justice “condemns the appalling abuse and forced labor” inflicted on the disabled victim and is “committed to ensuring the perpetrators face the full consequences of the law”.
CONAN Daily 