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El Cajon PD Press Releases>
Financial Elder Abuse Investigation and Arrest
May 1, 2008
TYPE OF INCIDENT: Financial Elder Abuse Investigation and
Arrest
DATE AND TIME OCCURRED: April 30, 2008
LOCATION OF OCCURRENCE: 695 Fletcher Parkway
BUSINESS NAME: World Savings
SUSPECT: Rebeca Arredondo 01/06/87
SUSPECT DESCRIPTION:
RESUME OF INCIDENT:
In August of 2007, the manager of World Savings located at
695 Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon, contacted the El Cajon
Police Department regarding an employee who had been
stealing money from customers’ accounts. The original
report was taken as an embezzlement from the bank. The
thefts occurred between April and July of 2007. The case
was assigned to Detective Mark Lee, who immediately
determined that the case was a complex fiduciary elder
abuse and not an embezzlement.
Det. Lee determined that Rebeca Arredondo, DOB 01/06/87, a
bank teller at World Savings, stole a total of $12,301.04
from eight different accounts at the bank. Seven of those
accounts belonged to seniors between the ages of 69 and 88.
Arredondo apparently selected her victims based on the
balance of their accounts, the age of the victims, and a
belief that the senior victims would not notice the thefts
on their account statements. Arredondo made fictitious
withdrawals from the victims’ accounts and at times altered
bank records to cover the crimes. In one case, Arredondo
used bank records to access the home address of an 88 year
old victim, went to the home and attempted to steal an
additional $8,000.00.
In January 2007, bank tellers became mandated reporters of
fiduciary elder abuse. This is because in many elder abuse
cases, the victims are taken to the bank by individuals who
are attempting to steal money from them by having them make
withdrawals from their accounts. Arredondo received
training in the recognition of elder abuse cases as part of
her job. Rather than using this knowledge to help elderly
victims, she apparently used the training to aid her in
victimizing seniors.
On 04/30/08, a felony arrest warrant was issued for
Arredondo's arrest and she was taken into custody in San
Diego. The case is being prosecuted by DDA Paul Greenwood
of the SD DA's Elder Abuse Unit.
People who banked at World Savings (now Wachovia Bank) in
El Cajon between April and July of 2007 are encouraged to
check their bank statements for discrepancies. World
Savings account holders discovering suspicious activity
during this time, should contact bank officials for further
follow-up. Wachovia officials were very cooperative
throughout this investigation.
PREPARED BY: Lt. Tim Henton
DIVISION: Investigations
DATE AND TIME: 5-1-08, 12:00PM
REVIEWED BY: Sgt. W. Miller
Pat Sprecco, Chief Of Police
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