By F. Scott Faulkner
November 24, 2025 – Ventura County, CA
What began as a routine stolen property call led to the unraveling of a years-long embezzlement scheme at an
Ojai business–and ultimately to the arrest of 54-year-old Port Hueneme resident Suzzann
Villegas.
According to VCSD spokesman Det. Joseph Sharif, deputies from the Ojai Station were first
contacted on May 16, 2025 when business owners on Bryant Circle reported “suspicious
financial activity.”
They told investigators they believed Villegas, a former employee, had
quietly siphoned company funds for years.
According to the owners, “numerous unauthorized charges” had stacked up over time, eventually surpassing $100,000 in losses.
Ojai detectives then began an investigation that included securing a search warrant for financial
records tied to the questionable purchases.
The documents “helped establish a pattern of unauthorized spending” and misuse of another person’s personal information.
With that evidence, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Villegas and the hunt for her began.
The search for Villegas ended months later on November 21, 2025, as Ojai detectives a tracked her down at her home in Port Hueneme.
She was taken into custody “without incident” and transported Ventura County Jail, where she was
booked on charges of grand theft and identity theft, with her bail set at $20,000.
