Update: Drew Ford Staff Shocked by Colleague’s Embezzlement Charges

Updated at 4:05 p.m. Jan. 12, 2012

Hunt Elliott, a 19-year employee at Drew Ford, said Lizeth Ochoa was “the last person” he thought would be accused of stealing money from her employer.

But Ochoa, a 13-year employee of the iconic La Mesa dealership, was arrested Wednesday on embezzlement charges, authorities said.

La Mesa police said Lizeth Guadalupe Ochoa, 35, of San Diego was booked into La Colinas women’s jail in Santee on suspicion of felony embezzlement and burglary. 

“The exact amount embezzled is undetermined at this time, but is believed to be in excess of $100,000 over a significant time period,” said police Lt. Matt Nicholass.  

Ochoa’s bail was set at $1 million, he said. Her arraignment is set for 1:30 p.m. Friday at El Cajon Superior Court, according to jail records.

According to online sources, Ochoa is director of telecommunications at Drew Ford. A receptionist at Drew Ford said Ochoa was on maternity leave.

“I didn’t know she was pregnant,” said Elliott, working in the parts department at dusk. “When we had problems with telephones, we’d call her.” Ochoa would supply headsets, for example.

But she rarely visited his department, he said.  She worked in the main office, called the roundhouse.

He said he’d heard about the case only an hour earlier—about 4 p.m. Wednesday. Ochoa was booked into the Santee jail at 10:43 a.m.

On Nov. 23, 2011, Drew Ford informed La Mesa police that an employee had embezzled money from the dealership, Nicholass said.  

“La Mesa police Detective Sean Snow worked with the Drew Ford staff and investigated the case,” he said.

“The investigation showed that the 13-year employee of Drew Ford had used numerous techniques to embezzle the money from the dealership.”

On Wednesday, La Mesa police detectives served a search warrant at Ochoa’s home in San Diego where she was found and placed under arrest.

General manager Bill Drew on Thursday declined to share details on the case, saying: “Out of respect of the ongoing investigation and future prosecution, I will not be making any comments on this case or anything related to it while it is active.”