Sheriff's Deputies Arrest Home Depot Employee for Embezzlement

Goleta - January 10th, 2008

On December 26, 2007, Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Home Depot located in the City of Goleta upon the request of the store’s Loss Prevention officers. Deputies were told that one of the Home Depot employees, Aarone Perez 05/16/87 of Isla Vista, was found to be responsible for several thefts from the store on December 20th and 22nd.

On these occasions friends of Perez would enter the store and collect various items, and then proceed to the cashier where Perez was working. At the register, Perez would scan each item and then delete all but one or two of the items. The friend would then pay for the one or two items which were not deleted and then leave the store with all of the property, as if they had paid for them in full. Loss Prevention officers were alerted of this activity, as the store computers are set to automatically identify suspicious transactions.

Sheriff’s Deputies through their investigation learned from Perez, that he indeed was involved in illegal activity of embezzling property from the Home Depot store with the assistance of several friends. Perez was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail for Embezzlement, Burglary, and Conspiracy.

On December 27, 2007, Sheriff’s Detectives met with Perez as he was being released from Jail. In speaking with Perez they were able to determine from him that additional property which had not been recovered was at his residence in Isla Vista, in addition to other items being in the Los Angeles area with a friend. Sheriff’s Detectives were subsequently able to recover the majority of the outstanding property, valued at $2,621.00, and return these items back to the Home Depot Store.

Any persons with information about this investigation are encouraged to contact Sheriff’s Detectives at the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Headquarters, 681-4150

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