O.C. probation officer charged with stealing money while executing search warrants on Santa Ana residences

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 17CF2998

Date: November 30, 2017

ORANGE COUNTY PROBATION OFFICER CHARGED WITH STEALING MONEY WHILE EXECUTING SEARCH WARRANTS DURING WORK

SANTA ANA, Calif. – An Orange County Probation Officer was arrested today on charges of stealing money while he was assigned to execute search warrants on residences in Santa Ana.

Defendant: Juan Manuel Rodriguez, 46, Orange County

Charged on Nov. 28, 2017, with:

• One felony count of grand theft
• Two misdemeanor counts of petty theft

Maximum Sentence: Three years in state prison and one year in county jail

Arraignment: TBD

Circumstances of the Case

• At the time of the crimes, Rodriguez was employed as an Orange County Probation Officer assigned to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) Tactical Apprehension Team (TAT).
• On Aug. 8, 2017, the defendant is accused of assisting TAT in the execution of a search warrant at a residence located on Edinger Avenue in Santa Ana.
• Rodriguez is accused of contacting the victim and asking for his identification card, which was in the victim’s wallet.
• While the victim was in a separate area with OCSD deputies, the defendant is accused of stealing approximately $150 in cash from the victim’s wallet.
• After the victim was cleared, he reported the missing money to an OCSD sergeant at the scene.
• On Aug. 10, 2017, a “bait” car equipped with hidden video camera and $1,200 in cash in various denominations was set up by OCSD. The defendant, while participating in the execution of an unrelated search warrant on a residence located on North Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana, also searched the bait car.
• Rodriguez is accused of stealing $1,000 cash from the bait car. He is also accused of reporting and leaving only $1 bills in the car.
• Later the same day, Rodriguez is accused of possessing the money from the bait car in his wallet.
• On Nov. 30, 2017, OCSD, who investigated this case, located and arrested the defendant.

Prosecutor: Deputy District Attorney Angela Hong, Special Prosecutions Unit

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TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718

TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney
Michelle Van Der Linden,Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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