BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

The store’s surveillance video system allegedly showed employee Otillia Bautista, 58, of Velarde taking three scratch tickets and cashing them out for their value. She was also observed taking four bottles of liquor and a pack of cigarettes. The book of lottery tickets was valued at $300, bringing the total loss to the store to $468.48.

When LAPD Ofc. Jonathan Knoell followed the manager into the store to view the surveillance video, Bautista left the store.

Bautista has been charged with one count of embezzlement for the book of lottery tickets and a second count of embezzlement for the additional items removed. She is also charged with fraud for redeeming winning lottery tickets knowing that they had been fraudulently obtained, as well as tampering with evidence for allegedly throwing the redeemed lottery tickets in the trash. The state lottery commission deactivated the entire book of tickets so that the missing tickets could not be used.

Bautista is slated for arraignment June 16 before Magistrate Judge Catherine Taylor.