La Puente woman suspected of embezzling from booster club

LA PUENTE -- Sheriff's officials jailed the former president of a local high school booster club Friday on suspicion of embezzling about $14,000 from the charity organization, authorities said.
Melinda Rivas, 47, was arrested about 11:30 a.m. at her La Puente home by officials from the Los Angeles County Commercial Crimes Bureau, sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
She was the president of the Basset Olympians Booster Club for the past six or eight years, Los Angeles County sheriff's Detective Jorge Valdez said, however the theft allegedly occurred between 2005 and 2008.
"(Rivas) was entrusted with the funds for the booster club in order to pay for things for the booster club," Valdez said.
"She was making payments from a booster club checking account to pay her mortgage, car insurance, and property taxes," the detective said.
He added that she admitted making the payments, and officials are looking into whether more money may have been stolen.
"There's a plethora of financial documents that we're still analyzing," Valdez said.
Bassett High School officials and Board Members of the Bassett Olympians Booster Club could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
The Bassett Unified School District Superintendent's Office declined to comment on the arrest Friday.
The Bassett Olympian Booster Club is a non-profit group that supports athletic and charitable activities at Bassett High School, the Sheriff's Department statement said.
According to the organizations Web site, "The Boosters provide uniforms, trophies, equipment, and administrative management to our youth programs."
The mission of the group is, "To enrich the community by supporting its youth; primarily through financial and administrative management of youth sports programs," the Web site states.
According to sheriff's booking records, Rivas is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and is due in El Monte Superior Court for arraignment Tuesday.