Fullerton police employee arrested in cash thefts

Orange County Register Communications, ocregister.com
BYLINE: SEAN EMERY / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Link to Article

Fullerton, CA

FULLERTON – A Fullerton police employee was arrested on suspicion of grand theft Thursday after authorities allege she stole from the department's property room.

April Baughman, 52, was arrested after a sworn employee discovered that she stole money from the property room over a two-year period, said Dan Hughes, Fullerton's acting police chief, in a written statement.

Hughes indicated he had been informed of the theft about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, after a discrepancy in a cash count from a money supply kept in the property room was discovered. The other employee had reported the discrepancy to his division commander after discovering it, police said.

"When there are violations of public trust or actions which result in the reduction of confidence in the police department, disciplinary action will be taken swiftly and decisively," Hughes said in the statement.

Authorities say the money is believed to have been stolen between 2009 and mid-2011, but they did not comment on how much cash was missing.

Authorities did not comment on how they linked Baughman, a 22-year Fullerton Police Department employee, to the theft. She was reportedly booked into Orange County Jail after her arrest.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7939 or

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
International Association for Property and Evidence
"Law Enforcement Serving the Needs of Law Enforcement"
www.IAPE.org