Adam Sacasa
A former employee of a real estate developer is accused of stealing more than $5,000 worth of various tenants’ rent payments and deposits, according to a Delray Beach Police arrest report.
The investigation into Jose Fidel Saavedra’s alleged theft began after a tenant phoned the rental agency and the tenant realized his rental deposit money was never received.
Saavedra, 51, of Delray Beach, was arrested Thursday on a grand theft charge.
He couldn’t be reached for comment despite a phone call Friday.
Saavedra said he and his boss at the rental agency were friends, and the boss let Saavedra live in a townhouse the boss owned, the arrest report said. Still, Saavedra stole from his boss, police said.
The rental-agency boss was tipped off when a tenant called and wanted to know the status of his rental deposit, only to hear the rental deposit was never received. The boss confronted Saavedra about why the deposit money he collected wasn’t submitted, the report said.
Saavedra said he took the money and would give it to his boss, according to the report.
As the boss investigated, he also learned Saavedra had gone into an office without permission and stolen furniture, the boss told police. Police arranged for the boss to talk with Saavedra over the phone while the police listened in on the conversation, police said.
“Saavedra continues to say in the phone call that he is trying to do everything physically possible to repay [the boss] the money that was not received,” an officer wrote in the report.
Police interviewed Saavedra, who said he stole $5,200 of rent payments and deposits throughout the month of April. Saavedra also said he was having “significant financial problems and stealing to ultimately survive,” according to the report.
Of the missing furniture, Saavedra said he and his boss were “very close” friends and he was never told he couldn’t go in the office.
Saavedra was held in Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $3,000 bail.
Source: sun-sentinel
