Santa Clarita Deputies Find Woman Accused In Door-To-Door Donation Scam

Posted by: Perry Smith in Crime February 3, 2014 - 3:32 pm 0 338 Views

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies have found a woman Saturday in Castaic they believe was illegally soliciting donations door-to-door for Children’s Hospital.

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The woman, who was identifying herself as Sirena Sanchez to residents, was allegedly canvassing local residential neighborhoods in recent weeks, claiming that she is collecting donations for Children’s Hospital in order to purchase books, according to a Sheriff’s Station press release.

A Castaic resident contacted Sheriff’s Station deputies regarding a sighting of the woman, whom deputies found near the informant’s residence.

Related article: Deputies Seek Information About Person Of Interest In Scamming Incidents

“Deputies contacted the woman, and she was cited and released and issued a court date,” said Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

The woman was cited for a violation of 11.37.020 of the Los Angeles County code, which is a misdemeanor offense, officials said.

Here’s the listing of the code in question:

A. Peddler’s and Solicitor’s License. No person may peddle or solicit unless such person has a valid peddler’s or solicitor’s license, as applicable, issued by the County of Los Angeles on behalf of the City under Title 5 of this code and Title 7 of the Los Angeles County Code.

The crime is being investigated by the Detective’s Bureau of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, Dubin said, citing that it’s an ongoing investigation.

“The investigation is continuing into the legitimacy of the company that she claimed to work for,” Dubin said.

Anyone with information about these incidents or this person of interest can contact Detective Sgt. J. Anderson at 661-55-1121 or jranders@lasd.org. Submit anonymous tips to LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

“We always encourage residents to immediately report criminal or suspicious activity in their neighborhoods,” the news release said. “…We encourage you to stay engaged with helping us keep Santa Clarita safe. Remember, by working together, we can send a ‘Not in Santa Clarita’ message.”

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.