Deputy Charged For Filing False Report With Missing Debit Card

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — An Orange County sheriff's deputy faces a felony charge for taking a debit card from a suspect and handing it to her son, who then used it, prosecutors alleged Wednesday.

Angelina Cortez, 41, a training officer, responded to a San Clemente 7-Eleven store, where a suspect was seen stealing wine and batteries on Nov. 19, 2018.

During the incident, she took the suspect's debit card, never booked into evidence, and later gave it to her son, who used it for unidentified purchases, according to prosecutors.

Orange County Sheriff's Department officers identified the incident and then provided to the Orange County District Attorney's Office with the expectation of filing criminal charges, sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.

"Deputy Cortez has been on administrative leave since June 2019 awaiting a decision from the Orange County District Attorney's Office," Braun told Patch. "With charges filed, the Department will now proceed with an internal administrative investigation."

The Orange County District Attorney's Office has charged Cortez with one felony count of filing a false police report.

Court records show the date of violation as Dec. 4, 2018, when the deputy filed her report on the alleged theft. The debit card in question was never entered into evidence, said Orange County sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Breckner.

She is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 18. She faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison if convicted.