Ex-Policeman Gets Probation for Theft

A former Ventura police officer convicted of shoplifting $25 worth of dog vitamins at a pet store was sentenced Thursday to three years’ probation.

David Matz, 58, pleaded no contest in Ventura County Superior Court on Jan. 6 to charges of petty theft and witness intimidation.

Police say Matz walked into a Petco store in the 4000 block of East Main Street in August and took a $25 jar of dog vitamins from a shelf.

Authorities say he stuffed the bottle into his police uniform jacket and left the store without paying.

After a store employee followed Matz and wrote down the license number of his patrol car, Matz returned to the store and urged the employee not to report the theft.

But Petco officials did report the incident, and when police officers searched Matz’s home Sept. 3 they found the sealed container of vitamins, authorities said.

Matz was arrested and charged with petty theft and dissuading a witness. Matz has no prior criminal record. He served 15 years with the Ventura Police Department before resigning in September.

Under the terms of his probation, Matz must regularly check in with a probation officer and participate in any recommended treatment programs.

He also must serve 60 days in a county program that provides counseling for defendants in cases in which mental health problems may have been a factor in the crime.

Matz was ordered to pay $200 in restitution and $82 in fees to help cover the cost of his court-appointed defense.

During his law enforcement career, Matz had been assigned to the downtown Ventura storefront and the department’s Drug Awareness Resistance Education program.