Security officer caught stealing from Colton High School
Posted: 10/06/2010 04:03:38 PM PDT
COLTON - A security manager who worked at several school sites in the Colton Joint Unified School District was arrested after he was caught stealing money from Colton High School on Friday, police said.Surveillance video shows Joe C. Trujillo, a 45-year-old Grand Terrace resident, enter a classroom and search for a cash box containing fund-raiser money belonging to the girls tennis team, a Police Department news release said.
After finding the box, authorities said Trujillo then takes the money, wipes his fingerprints from the box and leaves the room.
Detectives arrested Trujillo at Colton High and he was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. In an interview with detectives, he admitted to the theft.
School district spokeswoman Katie Orloff said Trujillo is, "no longer employed with the district and we're cooperating with police."
Orloff declined further comment. Board of Education member Marge Mendoza-Ware also declined comment because the matter is a confidential personnel issue.
Lt. Chuck deDianous said Trujillo was head of security at Colton High. There were previous thefts there and at other district school sites, but police haven't determined if Trujillo is responsible, deDianous said.
"I can't say that he was necessarily thought to be a suspect in any of those, but (theft) was something that we were looking at," deDianous said.
Police are investigating all thefts and Trujillo could face additional charges, deDianous said.
Read more:http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_16270816#ixzz11eHHLFQd
Surveillance video shows Joe C. Trujillo, a 45-year-old Grand Terrace resident, enter a classroom and search for a cash box containing fund-raiser money belonging to the girls tennis team, a Police Department news release said.
After finding the box, authorities said Trujillo then takes the money, wipes his fingerprints from the box and leaves the room.
Detectives arrested Trujillo at Colton High and he was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. In an interview with detectives, he admitted to the theft.
School district spokeswoman Katie Orloff said Trujillo is, "no longer employed with the district and we're cooperating with police."
Orloff declined further comment. Board of Education member Marge Mendoza-Ware also declined comment because the matter is a confidential personnel issue.
Lt. Chuck deDianous said Trujillo was head of security at Colton High. There were previous thefts there and at other district school sites, but police haven't determined if Trujillo is responsible, deDianous said.
"I can't say that he was necessarily thought to be a suspect in any of those, but (theft) was something that we were looking at," deDianous said.
Police are investigating all thefts and Trujillo could face additional charges, deDianous said.
Read more:http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_16270816#ixzz11eHHLFQd
Investigation clears Cortes
Twelve Grand Terrace citizens requested the investigation in January, alleging a conflict of interest during votes from 2006 to 2009.
Cortes received a letter Tuesday from Michael Ramos, San Bernardino district attorney, announcing that the investigation was closed.
Although Cortes does hold her license through Terra Loma Real Estate, Ramos' investigation found no evidence she sold property through it or received income from the company during the period she voted to approve payments.
"Given the lack of evidence to support these allegations," the letter reads, "it is our conclusion that your former relationship with Terra Loma did not constitute a `financial interest' that must be disclosed pursuant to the provisions of the California Political Reform Act."
Cortes was unavailable to comment, but her campaign consultant, Chris Jones, said the letter was welcome news.
"The kind of anonymous campaign that's being waged against Bea is, I think, based on lies, and I think that's being exposed," Jones said. "The bottom line is she's done an outstanding job for Grand Terrace, and this sheds light on the false charges and political chicanery that's going on against her."
Gene Carlstom, owner of Terra Loma, said no money changed hands between Cortes and the company. None of the citizens who filed the original complaint could be reached Wednesday.
