SCOTTSDALE, AZ — UPDATE: On August 13, Scottsdale PD confirmed to ABC15 that Nubia Gonzalez turned herself in.
————————
The treasurer of Cocopah Middle School's Association of Parents and Teachers (APT) allegedly stole funds from the group's savings account, Scottsdale police confirmed Thursday.
Scottsdale police told ABC15 that the department was notified on July 3 after the group's president returned from a trip and noticed that the group's savings account was zeroed out.
The president told police that the group had elected a new treasurer, Nubia Gonzalez, in April and she had been given control over the group's bank accounts on June 28.
Police say that "substantial" withdrawals were made from the group's checking and savings accounts between June 28 and July 1. The total combined loss between both accounts is over $36,500.
An image provided by the Scottsdale Police Department shows Gonzalez making a bank transaction.
Police say parents, school employees, and officers have tried to contact Gonzalez, but her phone numbers are no longer in service. Detectives attempted to contact her at the address she gave to the Scottsdale Unified School District, but police say that address was fraudulent.
Police ask that anyone with information regarding Gonzalez's whereabouts contact the department at 480-312-TIPS.
Scottsdale Unified School District released a statement regarding the theft, reading in part:
We are disappointed to learn about the alleged theft involving the treasurer of the Cocopah Middle School APT. It is disheartening to think that someone would take advantage of the hard work and dedication of our parent groups. Our APTs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs operate as separate non-profit organizations, and we greatly appreciate their tireless efforts to support our students, staff, and schools.
The core purpose of these groups is to enhance the educational experience for our students, and we are grateful for their unwavering commitment. We want to assure our community that this incident does not reflect the values and integrity of our many volunteers and community partners.
We hope that this unfortunate situation will not deter our engaged community from continuing to serve and give in support of their children.
The association sent the following statement to families, which reads, in part:
"An unthinkable event took place last month, which we want to share with you in our commitment to transparency. We were not allowed to share this news until now. ... There is an active and ongoing police investigation. The APT and the school continue to assist the Scottsdale Police Department and we are being updated as developments become available."
We are deeply shocked and disappointed about the significant loss of funds that we sustained last month. We will be seeking restitution and have instituted additional safeguards to prevent future situations.
We have been working with the Scottsdale School District (SUSD) and additionally want to thank Officer Dyer, Principal Olney and our former Treasurer Stephanie for their incredibly swift action and additional assistance."
