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GARDEN GROVE : Clerk Is Accused in Library Thefts Case

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A county library clerk in Garden Grove was arrested after he allegedly stole more than $25,000 worth of library books, videotapes, compact discs and cassettes over two years, police said Wednesday.

The clerk, Martin F. Meza, 28, of Stanton, was booked on suspicion of grand theft Friday after authorities who searched his home and a rented storage locker found more than 500 videotapes, 358 books and 152 CDs representing pop artists from Garth Brooks to Sade.

“He had the gamut. He had a variety of music and a variety of videos from all the genres,” said Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigator Julie Kearns. “We’re talking about popular artists here. We’re not talking about educational material.”

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Some of the works had been missing from various county libraries since late 1992, Kearns said. Meza, who worked checking out books at the main branch in Garden Grove, handled materials that are shared among libraries throughout the 27-branch system, she said.

Meza denied the charges.

“I don’t really have anything to say,” he said when reached at his home. “I wasn’t going to steal it. I was just keeping it here.”

Authorities were told by library employees that Meza allegedly had taken material home without checking it out. He agreed to a search of his Stanton apartment last week, Kearns said, and investigators found books, videos, CDs and cassettes stripped of library tags and bar codes.

Investigators also arranged a search of a rented storage locker in Iola, Kan., where Meza had planned to join his wife last year after moving her and belongings, Kearns said.

Nearly 200 books and more than 400 videos were found in the locker, she said. In all, the property amounted to well over $25,000 and included mostly pop fare, including the videos “Home Alone,” “Last of the Mohicans” and “Dances With Wolves,” Kearns said.

Meza, a four-year employee of the library, told investigators that he originally planned to return the materials but lost track of time, Kearns said.

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Orange County Librarian John Adams said Wednesday that library employees are required to check out books just as everyone else is. The arrest of an employee has “not occurred since I’ve been here,” said Adams, who has been on the job three years.

Meza, who was released from custody on his own recognizance, is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 15. Kearns said he was placed on administrative leave as his case proceeds.

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