North County man arrested for embezzlement
Vasquez, the company’s Chief Operations Officer, aellegedly embezzled $423,460 from the business over nearly five years
– Detectives with the Atascadero Police Department arrested Robert Vasquez, 37, of Paso Robles, on Dec. 19 for embezzlement, a violation of Section 503 of the California Penal Code.
The arrest followed a thorough investigation initiated in May when the owner of Scott O’Brien Fire and Safety contacted police to report suspected employee embezzlement. Investigators discovered that Vasquez, the company’s chief operations officer, had embezzled $423,460 from the business over nearly five years, between Jan. 2019 and Oct. 2023.
Authorities allege that Vasquez misused company funds for personal expenses, including paying his rent, making unauthorized cash withdrawals from the company’s checking account, and paying personal credit card bills.
Vasquez was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail with bail set at $20,000.
The Atascadero Police Department emphasized its commitment to ensuring justice and protecting the community from financial crimes.
