E. Toledo resident convicted in theft case

7/2/2004

An East Toledo woman was convicted yesterday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court of stealing more than $20,000 from homes where she worked as a cleaner.

A jury found Belia Garrobo, 37, of 2615 Pratt St., guilty of grand theft and theft from an elderly person. She faces a 6 1/2-year prison term when Judge Patrick Foley sentences her Aug. 2.

Investigators said Garrobo took large amounts of cash from the Ottawa Hills home of Linda Mansour and her parent's home in Sylvania Township from October through December, 2001.

Ottawa Hills police Officer Scott Steinke said Garrobo cleaned both homes for several years before stealing the money. None of the cash was recovered.

Sylvania Township police investigated the theft of $11,500 from Nasir Mansour's residence, but turned the case over to Ottawa Hills police, who were investigating the theft of $10,000 from a closet in the bedroom of Ms. Mansour's home.

In both instances, the money was taken from clothing in closets of the homes.

A search was conducted in December, 2001 at Garrobos' home where hundreds of receipts were found for money that had been transferred to the defendant's family in Mexico.

Officer Steinke said about $25,000 was sent in 2001 in 71 transactions with amounts ranging from $200 to $1,000.

Garrobo confessed to taking a portion of the money from the Mansour residence when police interviewed her about the missing money. However, a Common Pleas Court judge suppressed the statements in 2002 because he didn't believe Garrobo spoke English well enough to understand her Miranda rights.