SPPD: Ex-resident arrested on suspicion
of theft from elderly SP couple

A former Santa Paula resident was arrested Thursday on suspicion of grand theft and forgery of an elderly person and local police are looking for more possible victims.

According to Santa Paula Police Sgt. Cody Madison, the November 5 arrest of Elizabeth Moten, 53, of Fillmore came after a weeklong investigation after the couple notified the SPPD when they noticed money was missing from their account. 

“Investigators determined between March 2014 through August 2015 Moten had cared for an elderly couple, ages 92 and 83 years old of Santa Paula,” said Madison, and “During that timeframe the suspect had written multiple false checks and made unauthorized withdrawals on the elderly couple’s account.”

The total loss in false checks and unauthorized withdrawals is approximately $8,500.

During the investigation it was also alleged that Moten had stolen jewelry from the elderly couple and had pawned it at a Ventura pawnshop.

Madison said as the money theft was being investigated “Pawn slips came in from the Ventura Police,” noting loans made on property belonging to a Santa Paula resident.

Such notification he noted is standard operating procedure: “We do the same thing,” as do other police agencies. 

“We were just going through the pawn slips and lo and behold Moten had some items in her own name.”

When SPPD checked at the pawnshop the jewelry was still there; the victim identified some as her own but there are other pieces that were allegedly pawned by Moten that police are investigating.

Madison said the dollar amount regarding the value of the stolen jewelry is being determined.