California Teacher Allegedly Steals School Funds

(Merced County, California) A 35-year-old second-grade teacher at Burbank Elementary School, Christina Fuentes, was arrested last Friday for allegedly embezzling $8,300 from the school's parent-teacher council account.

According to Detective Brian Rodriguez, Fuentes had sole signature authority on the parent-teacher bank account and she admitted that she was stealing.

Rodriguez said Fuentes had written checks to make personal monthly bill payments from November 2007 to August 2008.

The greater share of the funds, $4,687, went toward her GMAC car payment, which was automatically deducted from the account each month, Rodriguez said. She is also accused of paying $1,189 on a credit card bill, $394 to the Turlock Irrigation District, $640 to the city of Turlock, $389 to Macy's, $250 to Verizon Wireless and $153 to AT&T. Most of the payments were made via phone or Internet payments with the exception of one $600 check written to her husband, Richard Fuentes, Rodriguez said.

Despite the large number of withdrawals, she was not living off the account and planned to pay the money back someday, Rodriguez said.

I would disagree with the detective. Fuentes was undoubtedly living off the account for a large part of her expenses. Holy moly! Her car payment was automatically deducted from the council's account.

Fuentes was booked into custody at the Merced County Jail and later released on $5,000 bond.