ALBUQUERQUE - A grand jury has indicted a woman accused of pretending
she'd had a child and bilking her former husband out of more than
$26,000.

The Bernalillo County grand jury last week indicted Viola Trevino, 54,
on 24 counts, including kidnapping, perjury, conspiracy to commit
fraud and conspiracy to commit forgery.

Trevino and Steve Barreras divorced in August 1999. The divorce papers
make no mention of a pregnancy or minor children.

However, in December 1999, Trevino sued for child support, saying she
gave birth to Barreras' child that September.

The elaborate scheme to get child support included false DNA evidence,
a forged Social Security number and forged birth and baptismal
certificates, authorities have said.

They say it came apart in December 2004, when a judge ordered her to
bring the child to court.

According to court records, Trevino picked up a 2-year-old and her
grandmother from a city street, promising them lunch, $50 and a visit
to Santa Claus. Trevino then took the child to court, alleging she was
her daughter.

However, state District Judge Linda Vanzi ruled Trevino had fabricated
the baby she claimed Barreras fathered.

Trevino had a tubal ligation in 1978 and Barreras had a vasectomy in
1998, court records show.

Last October, Trevino was sentenced to 16 months in prison after
pleading guilty to making a false federal income tax return. The U.S.
attorney's office said the 2001 tax return included falsely claimed
exemptions, Earned Income Credit, and child and dependent care
expenses for a nonexistent child.