Youth shelter employee held in thefts
A former employee of a youth shelter was charged Wednesday with stealing $450,000 from the facility over three years and spending it on a lavish lifestyle that included vacations, a boat and other luxury items. Lydia Fitzgerald, 47, is facing 44 felony counts, including check forging, fraud and grand theft.
The Long Beach resident faces more than 33 years in prison if convicted on all counts and is being held in lieu of $450,000 bail. To make bail, she must prove that the money is from a legitimate source.
Fitzgerald was an executive assistant at the Casa Youth Shelter in Los Alamitos. Prosecutors said she stole the funds between April 2004 and December 2007.
-- H.G. Reza
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