The CotoBuzz Journal, Community Journalism

May 2009

We do not make jokes, we simply watch the LA Times, the Orange County Register and CID/HOA board of directors and report the facts

OC Sheriff’s Employee Convicted of Stealing from Inmates

Posted By CotoBlogzz | 04/23/2009 | 03:00 PM

SANTA ANA, CA - Christina Santucci, an employee of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) was convicted today of stealing money from five inmates while taking inventory of their personal property after arrest.

OCSD Correctional Service Technician Christina Santucci, 35, Lake Elsinore, pleaded guilty at arraignment to two misdemeanor counts of petty theft. She was sentenced to 200 hours of Community Service, three years of informal probation and restitution.

Between April 3, 2008, and July 29, 2008, Santucci stole $20 from five inmates on separate occasions. Each of the victims in this case had been ordered into the custody of the OCSD after appearing in Superior Court for a variety of charges against them. The property belonging to the arrestees was inventoried at the respective court where they were arrested. When the arrestees were transported to Orange County Jail, their property was also sent to the jail.

As an OCSD employee, Santucci was responsible for re-taking inventory on personal items that were sent to the jail. On five occasions, the defendant stole $20 in cash from individual inmates’ property and manipulated the inventory to account for the difference.

OCSD began investigating the case after some of the inmates complained that they did not receive all of their property back.