'Faith-healing' brothers charged in scam

Two brothers claiming to be faith healers were charged with grand theft for allegedly convincing clients they were cursed and would die unless they paid for expensive cleansing rituals, authorities said.

Carlos Salazar, 34, and John Salazar, 23, who called himself "Master Alexander," are accused of scamming hundreds of clients through their San Jose business, which they advertised exclusively through Spanish-language newspapers and radio stations.

The pair wore robes and performed sleight-of-hand illusions _ such as turning water into a red substance they pretended was blood _ to fool customers into believing they were possessed, said San Jose Police detective Manuel Jurado.

They then allegedly instructed clients to pay for cleansings to avoid further consequences, including death. Police began their investigation in August, after receiving reports that a woman had paid John Salazar $10,000 to remove a curse from her infant daughter.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has charged the brothers with five counts of grand theft and one count of attempted grand theft.

Carlos Salazar was arrested last month after returning to the U.S. on a flight from Colombia. John Salazar remains at large and may be working as a faith healer in the San Francisco Bay area, police said.