1 month ago
25
PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A erstwhile Porterville metropolis worker was arrested and accused of stealing from her person erstwhile her person asked her for assistance owed to a aesculapian condition, the Porterville Police Department said.
Officers accidental they responded to a location successful Porterville connected March 3, 2024, for a study of fiscal fraud. The victim, an older resident, reported she had incurred a aesculapian information a twelvemonth ago, which resulted successful the request to inquire for help.
According to police, the unfortunate asked her friend, 50-year-old Vikki Ann Cervantes, for help. Cervantes had entree to the victim's slope relationship to wage for the victim's bills and conscionable the victim's different fiscal obligations; however, it was discovered that Cervantes besides utilized the funds to wage for her idiosyncratic matters without the victim's cognition oregon permission.
The constabulary section reports the unauthorized usage of these funds totaled thousands of dollars successful nonaccomplishment to the victim.
During a yearlong investigation, detectives accidental they obtained grounds of Cervantes' "criminal conduct" and discovered that during the clip Cervantes had power of the victim's slope account, she besides opened different accounts, further utilizing the victim's idiosyncratic funds for unrelated matters without the victim's cognition oregon permission.
At the clip of the investigation, detectives authorities Cervantes was employed arsenic the City of Porterville Librarian. Detectives conducted a forensic fiscal audit of the room funds, but could not find immoderate grounds of immoderate theft of metropolis funds.
According to investigations, the lawsuit was submitted to the Tulare County District Attorney's Office for review, and charges of felony expansive theft, felony individuality theft and felony elder maltreatment were filed successful May.
Police accidental Cervantes turned herself successful connected May 9. She was aboriginal released connected her ain recognizance by a Superior Court Judge and is pending arraignment. Anyone with accusation regarding this lawsuit is asked to interaction the Porterville Police Department astatine 559-782-7400.
