Two managers of a Santa Rosa restaurant were booked on embezzlement charges following an internal audit and subsequent police investigation that revealed significant losses to the business. According to a social media post by the Santa Rosa Police, suspicions arose when the restaurant owners, operating on Marlow Road, noticed irregularities in void transactions allegedly carried out by the managers.
The investigation, led by the Santa Rosa Police Department's (SRPD) Property Crimes Investigations (PCI) Team, found that 27-year-old Manuel Arzate Pelayo and 25-year-old Jordan Sorg had been manipulating cash transactions and stealing funds over an extended period. Arzate Pelayo is accused of pocketing over $40,000 in 18 months, while Sorg is suspected of taking over $9,000 over 12 months. The discrepancies involved voiding cash transaction hours post-sale and failing to complete any required documentation, which was a clear violation of company policy.
Yesterday, SRPD detectives carried out search warrants at the residences of both managers. Arzate Pelayo was arrested at his Tedeschi Drive home, where detectives also uncovered evidence of check fraud involving his roommate, 34-year-old Thalia Perez, who was present during the raid. Perez was later detained for possessing checks connected to an unrelated case of identity theft. Sorg was apprehended later that morning at his Noonan Ranch Circle residence.
The Santa Rosa Police Department indicated that digital evidence was also seized from both locations. The evidence is under examination as part of the ongoing investigation. Arzate Pelayo and Sorg now face charges of embezzlement and grand theft, and Perez has been charged with identity theft and possession of a blank check. All three individuals were booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.
