Ex-husband Committed Identity Theft, Left $90k In Unpaid Rent On Joint Lease, And Disappeared

I am an immigrant living in California who recently separated from my husband of six years after enduring severe, ongoing financial abuse. Throughout our marriage, he completely drained all of my pre-marital savings as well as every dollar I earned working over five years. He exercised total financial control over me, forcing us to move four times and switch bank accounts multiple times. After we separated, having no money of his own, he moved into a homeless shelter and has since gone completely off the grid.

Recently I have uncovered the full extent of his fraud. I discovered he used my SSN and name to open credit cards and run up debts without my knowledge. I have already filed police reports and submitted fraud affidavits to all three credit bureaus. Far worse, I also found out there is $90K in unpaid rent tied to a joint lease from the apartment we lived a few years ago. He had convinced me that joint leases and bank accounts were required for my Green Card process. I had no idea he wasn't paying the rent because I paid my share of the rent to him.

I am completely lost on how to handle this overlap of divorce, identity theft, and massive civil liability. I have tried reaching out to local family law aid and dv support groups, but I keep getting turned away because I am not homeless and my income sits just above their poverty-line thresholds. Because he has no assets, no income, and cannot be located, I don't even know if taking him to court is worth the legal fees I can't afford.

I cannot bear the thought of being held responsible for $90,000 in back rent when he already stripped me of every dollar I had, especially since I paid my share to him directly. I desperately need to prevent any further financial damage. Where or who should I turn to for legal guidance in a complex situation like this? Is it worth pursuing legal action against someone who has vanished with zero assets, and what steps can I take to protect myself from being forced to pay this astronomical rent debt alone?

Location: California