A clerk in the Santa Barbara County Jail’s records division was arrested Wednesday for first-degree burglary. Mary Methmann, a full-time employee with the Sheriff’s Department since 2005, is accused of stealing a large amount of jewelry — worth in excess of $10,000 — from a Goleta residence she was house sitting. No other arrests were made.
The Sheriff’s Department noted that on January 4 it had launched a criminal investigation into Methmann’s recent activities after receiving a complaint that Methmann, a Carpinteria resident, allegedly stole $50 while on duty in the main jail. She was placed on administrative leave January 29 at the end of the investigation, and the case was forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office, which will be prosecuting. The DA has yet to review the burglary case.
“We are extremely disturbed that someone from within the Sheriff’s Office would betray the public trust in this manner,” said Sheriff Bill Brown in a prepared statement. “Due to the policies and systems we have in place, investigators were quickly able to identify and take action on this unfortunate and aberrant employee behavior. … All necessary steps are also being taken to ensure this type of crime is not repeated.”