Crime & Safety
Menlo Park Employee Arrested for Embezzlement
The Redwood City resident is accused of siphoning from the city fuel tanks for more than a year.
Menlo Park Police arrested a man accused of stealing fuel from the city-owned gas pumps on Tuesday.
Juan Alvarez, 51, was arrested at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and booked into San Mateo County Jail. Alvarez, a Redwood City resident, was an employee of the City of Menlo Park’s Public Works Department during the time the fuel was stolen.
An internal audit by the city in April 2013 discovered a discrepancy in the fuel logs that showed about 500 gallons of gas was not properly documented, according to Commander Dave Bertini of the Menlo Park Police.
“The Menlo Park Police Department initiated an investigation into the possible thefts and discovered that approximately $1800 worth of fuel was stolen from city fuel pumps over a one and a half year period,” Bertini told Patch.
Alvarez was arrested and charged with three felony counts of embezzlement, second-degree burglary, and grand theft. His case has been sent to the District Attorney’s office. He made bail and was released from police custody.
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