Ex-Employee Held in June Fire, Theft at Mortuary

A former San Fernando mortuary employee was arrested Thursday on suspicion of setting fire to the business to cover up the theft of more than $25,000, police said.

Ann Rios, 32, was arrested on suspicion of arson and embezzlement at her Van Nuys home after a 6-month investigation, San Fernando Police Lt. Rico Castro said.

Rios is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail, he said.

Rios is accused of embezzling $25,000 from the J.T. Oswald Mortuary in the 1000 block of North Maclay Avenue, where she worked for 8 years as a secretary. She then tried to cover up the crime by staging a robbery, in which she stabbed herself in the arm and set the fire, Castro said.

Thomas Oswald, mortuary president, told police that he became suspicious of Rios and asked her to prepare the mortuary’s financial records for review, Castro said.

Two days later on June 9, a fire broke out during what Rios told police was an attempted robbery, Castro said. Rios told police that two men, one carrying a bag with several rags and a container of flammable liquid, walked into the mortuary and demanded money.

Rios said one man produced a pocket knife and stabbed her once in the upper left arm before setting the fire, which caused $100,000 in damage, Castro said.

Oswald said he fired Rios and filed a police report alleging that she had stolen the money.