August 8, 2021 – Ventura County, Ca.
The current housing crisis and the phenomenal increase in real estate values in Central Coast communities may lie behind the pressures some local residents are feeling to simply make ends meet. While Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Sgt. Hollowell didn’t assess motives in the case of 28-year-old Carpinteria resident Briana Gutierrez, her arrest on August 4 th clearly points to desperate financial need.
According to Hollowell, the evidence against Gutierrez surfaced on July 6th as VCSD deputies were alerted to an alleged identity theft that included “three personal checks that had been cashed” by Gutierrez. Further investigation indicated that the checks “totaling $1701.89 had been stolen, forged, and cashed.”
Gutierrez, who became the subject of a month-long investigation, was suspected as having “a history of criminal theft crimes” by Fillmore Detective Bureau investigators. Once her whereabouts were determined, detectives made contact with Gutierrez and promptly took her into custody “for several felonies, including identity theft, possession of stolen property, forgery, and burglary. She was transported to Ventura County Jail, with her bail set at $70,000.
Photo: Courtesy www.kbtx.com
