ARCADIA – Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
investigators yesterday obtained a felony arrest warrant for former Arcadia
Police officer Christian Blesch, 36, charging grand theft.
The warrant was the result of an on-going criminal
investigation into allegations that Blesch, a six-year employee of the
department, feloniously stole money from the Arcadia Police Officers’
Association over a period of several months.
Arcadia Police Department command staff became aware of the
allegations in March of this year, and soon thereafter relieved Blesch of duty,
placing him on paid, administrative leave – pending the outcome of the L.A.
County DA’s investigation into the thefts. As of September 24, 2013, Blesch was
no longer employed by the Arcadia Police Department.
The District Attorney’s Office arranged with Blesch to
voluntarily turn himself in upon issuance of the warrant and he surrendered to
the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 2, 2013.