By Maverick
Yolanda started working at the Selena Y Los Dinos fan club on July 4th, 1991, out of all days. She had been given a substantial amount of responsibilities in such a short time period. It’s uncanny how much and quickly Abraham and the Quintanilla family trusted Yolanda. She was allowed to write and cash checks, she was managing all of the money coming in to the fan club, and she had plenty of free range, which is beyond peculiar for someone who had just started the job.
It was reported that the alleged embezzlement that Yolanda committed started in 1991, not long after she began working there, according to some checks that Abraham has shown in old interviews. In Abraham’s book “A Father’s Dream,” on page 103, he flat-out lied about when he actually met Yolanda face-to-face. He said he hired her by phone in 1991 and met her in person back in 1994, which is not true at all. I don’t believe that was a typo either.
Either his memory was dwindling, or he didn’t want people to know the actual time that they met in person. There are literally pictures of Yolanda and Selena in the Q family house, dated back to 1991/1992 when Selena had the bob cut hairstyle. Not to mention, Yolanda was a bridesmaid in Suzette’s wedding to Bill Arriga in September of 1993.
Supposedly, Abraham even said in his police statement that he met her face-to-face at a club in San Antonio called “Club Reflex” back in 1991. That’s when he said he decided to give Yolanda a shot and see what she could do. From there, we know how the story goes: he let this woman do whatever she wanted and put Suzette in charge of handling the fan club, where Yolanda was to report to her, distancing himself from it.
Abraham also mentioned on page 103 of his book that he had an open door policy for phone calls, especially ones that involved business. He claimed he always responded to one’s calls, yet it took Yolanda calling X number of times to get him to finally respond. I’m sure she gave a phone number to return her call.
I must also note that both Chris and Suzette said under oath during Yolanda’s trial that they met Yolanda around 1989/1990. Could they both have gotten the year wrong as to when she came in to their lives? I can’t say for sure, but it’s worth mentioning since this is mentioned in the official trial transcripts.
Before Yolanda began running Selena’s fan club, she tried to start a fan club for Shelly Lares, another upcoming and rising Tejano star. She had pitched the idea to Shelly’s father, and he turned her down. One might think Abraham would’ve done the same or at least conduct a proper background check to make sure this woman is who she says she’s is and will do right by the band and its growing interests.
Abraham himself admitted in several old interviews that he never trusted Yolanda that much, while saying other times that he felt she was like a member of the family. So which is it? Seems like another contradiction on his end. Yolanda was of Hispanic descent, so perhaps that’s why he had no issues trusting her, but then why did he say in old interviews that he never really trusted her that much? Make it make sense!
