Sheriff’s records clerk arrested in residential burglary

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested one of their own. Although Mary Methmann is not a sworn officer, she did work in the administrative offices as a records clerk.

Deputies arrested Methmann at her Carpinteria apartment on Wednesday and booked her into county jail with bail set at $50,000.

Detectives started their investigation on Monday after $10,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from a Goleta residence. Sheriff’s officials said evidence led them to Methmann.

On Jan. 4th, the Sheriff’s department received a complaint that Methmann stole $50 from the Sheriff’s Office main jail where she worked in custody records. Methmann was placed on administrative leave. The District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting that case.

“We are extremely disturbed that someone from within the Sheriff’s Office would betray the public trust in this manner,” Sheriff Bill Brown said. “Due to the policies and systems we have in place, investigators were quickly able to identify and take action on this unfortunate and aberrant employee behavior.”

Methmann is charged with residential burglary in the first degree for this latest crime.