Washington Woman Accused of Luring Disabled Man Into Relationship, Spending His Money

April 12, 2010 — -- A Washington woman is accused of luring a disabled man into a relationship with promises of marriage and children only to squander thousands of dollars of his money, leaving him suicidal and in debt, investigators say.

Alesha Lair, 23, is charged with theft and domestic violence stemming from what King County prosecutors are calling a "deceptive" two-year relationship with 55-year-old Douglas Lare.

Lare was diagnosed at birth with mild mental retardation and cerebral palsy and has a mental age that ranges between 6 and 12 years old, according to the probable cause report from the Seattle Police Department.

Prior to his relationship with Lair, he had no outstanding debt and held a full-time job. But in the past year, he has been hospitalized multiple times for suicidal threats because of the debt his relationship resulted caused, according to the report.

Lare told Det. Elizabeth Litalien of the Seattle Police Department, according to the probable cause report, that he "felt like going home and drowning himself in his bathtub," and that he had fears the IRS was going to "throw him in jail or shoot him."

Lare met the then-18-year-old Lair in August 2005, and she became his first girlfriend.

In the more than two years afterward, his girlfriend proceeded to rack up thousands of dollars of debt on several credit cards that Lare himself was not capable of monitoring due to his neurodevelopment and medical conditions, according to the report.

"One only has to be with Lare for a few minutes to realize his vulnerability, Litalien wrote in the report. "I believe Lair was fully aware of Lare's cognitive and physical disabilities, and knowingly and willingly exploited him."

According to statements by Lare given to authorities, his new girlfriend "promised him they would be married" but that before they could do so, she insisted she had to "establish credit in her name."

Calls made to Lare's home were not immediately returned, nor were those left for Lair's mother, Barbara Roberson.