Jose Manuel Orozco
Ventura County – There is little doubt that the most vulnerable among us are the aged who live in senior care facilities and rest homes, and that those who exploit the most elderly may find themselves somewhat unappreciated by law enforcement and the judicial system.
That may well be the legal future awaiting 21-year-old Simi Valley resident Jose Manuel Orozco. According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Mike Purnell, Orozco was the subject of a three-week investigation by Thousand Oaks Police Department detectives pursuant to “a series of theft reports from elderly residents living at the Sunrise Senior Living Home” in Thousand Oaks. The inquiry into reports of missing property revealed multiple victims at Sunrise with an age range of 78-98.
As Purnell detailed in his report to the media, detectives worked closely with administrative staff at the senior facility, ultimately identifying Orozco—a full time caretaker with “unrestricted access to the entire facility”—as a principal suspect.
With that suspicion driving the investigation, a warrant was obtained for a search of Orozco’s personal residence which was served on the morning of July 27th.
Upon the service of the search warrant, multiple items of “stolen property” reported missing from various Sunrise living units were discovered and recovered. With that evidence in hand, Orozco was taken in to custody and transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on four felony counts of residential burglary, three counts of abuse by caretaker, and a single count of elder abuse by caretaker.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
