The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has extradited an Arizona woman and charged her with pretending to be a licensed dental hygienist "for years," the DA's office announced on Tuesday.
Elizabeth "Mina" Larijani, 50, also known as Elizabeth Garcia Costilla, allegedly worked and attempted to work at more than ten dental offices in the South Bay between 2015 and 2020, the DA said.
DA investigators tracked her down in Arizona, where they claim she was again working as a dental hygienist. She was extradited to San Jose for her May 13 arraignment.
Larijani was held on $40,000 bail and was released on Tuesday.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Prosecutors allege that Larijani misrepresented herself as a registered dental hygienist (RDH) by using the stolen identity of an actual RDH. Further, the DA alleges that as soon as dental offices questioned her qualifications, she would move on to another office. Prosecutors claim they can prove that she worked illegally in both San Jose and Campbell.
The District Attorney's Office is currently seeking anyone with information that might help investigators locate possible victims who suffered physical harm as a result of the allegations. Krissi Durant of the Santa Clara DA's office is the point person and can be reached at (408) 792-2567.
