Phoenix man arrested for theft, applied for job with police agency

PHOENIX — Well, here’s something you don’t see everyday: A suspect accused of bank theft was arrested after he applied for a job with the police agency that handled the criminal investigation.

Yes, you read that right.

According to a press release, 32-year-old Alberto Saavedra Lopez was suspected of stealing $5,000 from his former employer, Bank of America, in Cottonwood, Arizona, between July and September in 2016.

Alberto Saavedra Lopez (Photo: Cottonwood PD)

Bank officials filed a theft report in October of that year, after Lopez quit his job and moved to Phoenix. He also refused to cooperate with police by missing appointments and did not answer phone calls.

The investigation was then turned over to the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office for charges and a warrant to be issued. However, the department said, the warrant was never issued.

In December 2017, Lopez applied for a dispatch position with the Cottonwood Police Department. Officers determined that there was probable cause for arrest, so they contacted him and set up a job interview for the position.

Lopez showed up for at the department for the interview on Jan. 4 and was subsequently arrested for felony theft.

Due to his arrest, Lopez is no longer eligible for the position at the Cottonwood Police Department, police said.

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