Police Say Disabled Neighbor Bilked of $21,000 : Woman Jailed in Forgery Probe

A woman who has sued Orange County officials for removing foster children from her home was jailed Monday on suspicion of bilking a disabled neighbor out of more than $21,000, police said.

Cynthia Chinchilla, 40, of Garden Grove, was suspected of stealing checks from a 72-year-old neighbor, then forging and depositing them into her own account for a total of $21,475, said Santa Ana Police Department spokeswoman Maureen Thomas.

Chinchilla apparently befriended the neighbor through two months of daily visits to help at the woman’s house, Thomas said. Officials at First Interstate Bank of California alerted Santa Ana police, Thomas said, when they grew suspicious of the frequent deposits of the neighbor’s checks into Chinchilla’s account.

Police arrested Chinchilla on Friday on suspicion of grand theft after questioning her, Thomas said. Chinchilla remained in Orange County jail for women in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Last month, Chinchilla filed a complaint in federal court in Los Angeles against the Orange County Social Services Agency, seeking reinstatement of her foster-care license and $10 million in damages. She alleged that the county removed two foster daughters from her home after it learned her mother had died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

The mother died in February after contracting AIDS from a blood transfusion six years ago, according to the complaint.

That month, Chinchilla also filed for bankruptcy, she said in a recent interview.

The publicized story of Chinchilla’s plight led people to set up a trust fund for her.

Her arrest will not affect her lawsuit against the county, said Santa Ana attorney Marjorie Rushforth, who is working with the American Civil Liberties Foundation of Southern California on the case.

Rushforth said she would not represent Chinchilla in the criminal action.

A hearing has been scheduled Sept. 21 in Los Angeles on a defense motion to dismiss Chinchilla’s suit against the county, Rushforth said.