VENTURA : Finance Officer Held in Fire at Dealership

The finance manager of a Ventura automobile dealership has been arrested on suspicion of setting fire to the company’s showroom this week.

Jose Garcia Cabanas, 44, of Thousand Oaks was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail in Ventura County Jail on Saturday, Police Sgt. R. W. Anderson said.

Cabanas is suspected of embezzling money from Paradise Chevrolet, 1177 S. Victoria Ave., and setting the fire to destroy evidence, Anderson said.

The fire, set late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, was discovered by owner Bob Gregory when he arrived for work. It caused more than $75,000 in heat and smoke damage to vehicles and the building’s interior, a Fire Department official said.

Gregory told police that he had confronted Cabanas about some discrepancies in the company’s accounts just hours before the fire was set, Ventura Police Officer Graham Jeffrey said.

As finance manager, Cabanas handled auto payments made by customers. Detectives believe Cabanas was involved in stealing cash payments, Anderson said. Police are still determining the amount of money that is missing, but it may total many thousands of dollars, Jeffrey said.