Woman Guilty In Theft From Elder

Denise Cabrera booking photo from Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Lenny Roberts
An Oxnard woman is facing a possible six years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to fleecing a 74-year-old woman out of $2,211 in fraudulent credit card transactions. With respect to criminal acts, the California Penal Code considers anyone 65 or older an elder, and elder abuse can be physical, emotional or financial.
According to Theresa Pollara, Ventura County senior deputy district attorney, 29-year-old Denise Cabrera pleaded guilty Sept. 20 to one felony count of theft from an elder and four felony counts of fraudulent use of an access card.
The victim had reported that someone made 51 fraudulent transactions on her credit card after she had used it at the place of business where Cabrera was employed in July.
Senior Deputy Jim Desoto, a detective assigned to the Ojai Police Station, obtained surveillance footage showing Cabrera making fraudulent transactions at several retail establishments in Ojai, Ventura and Onxard, according to Pollara.
A subsequent search warrant executed at Cabrera’s home turned up items matching those made in the fraudulent transactions, Pollara said.
According to court records, Cabrera was arrested by the Ventura Police Department last year on a similar offense, convicted and sentenced to 180 days in jail.
Cabrera is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 18 at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 12.