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OC Sheriff’s deputy suspected of burglarizing Yorba Linda man’s estate
Authorities arrested an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy Thursday, Sept. 10, on suspicion of repeatedly breaking into and burglarizing a deceased Yorba Linda man’s estate.
Deputy Steve Hortz was booked on suspicion of thefts that took place after he was dispatched to a Yorba Linda residence on July 20, Orange County Sheriff’s officials said in a news release. The 12-year veteran of the department was summoned in response to the death of a Yorba Linda man in his 70’s by apparently natural causes.
Hortz broke into the man’s unoccupied home while still in uniform on July 27, Sheriff’s officials said. He was suspected of returning August 10 and August 16 to steal weapon safes, clothing, ceiling fans and other items.
“The suspected criminal actions of this deputy are a violation of public trust, are inexcusable and intolerable,” Orange County sheriff Don Barnes said in a statement. “This deputy will be held accountable through a swift and thorough process, including a full criminal and internal administrative investigation.”
An attorney representing the victim’s estate contacted the Sheriff’s Department to report the missing items, and provided surveillance footage the break-ins on Wednesday, officials said. Hortz was arrested the following day and placed on paid administrative leave, Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.
The deputy was apparently seen wearing a vest with the word “SHERIFF” written in bold yellow letters across the back in a video released by the Sheriff’s Department. His badge was clearly visible as he approached the rear patio entrance of the burglarized residence. Nighttime surveillance footage later shows a suspect leaving with rolling storage cases and a disassembled ceiling fan.
Barnes said the crimes Hortz was suspected of “undermine” the work done by deputies.” The Sheriff went on to remind his staff that their “profession is under intense scrutiny” and urged them to “demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism,” in an internal memo issued Thursday.
He also noted that Hortz or anyone accused of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty.
“Although the facts in the case support the arrest of Deputy Hortz, he is afforded and entitled to the due process rights of anyone arrested for a crime,” Barnes wrote in the memo to Sheriff’s Department employees.
Another deputy was charged earlier this week on suspicion of taking a suspect’s debit card and giving it to her son, instead of logging it as evidence. Angelina Cortez, 41, faces allegations of filing a false police report and faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison if convicted.