Deer Park woman charged with writing checks from her deceased employer's business

A Deer Park woman was arrested and charged Thursday with stealing thousands from her employer after the company's owner died, Suffolk police said.

Precious Ortiz, 34, worked for Paragon Advertising, the owner of which died on Feb 26, the Suffolk County Police Department said in a news release. After that date, she allegedly wrote two checks from the business, located on Corporate Drive in Hauppauge, worth a combined $7,032 to her boyfriend’s business.

Ortiz then “falsified” the advertising business’ records to indicate the money went to “a vendor of the business,” police said.

The release did not identify the name or nature of Ortiz’s boyfriend’s business.

Police arrested Ortiz Thursday at the Third Precinct in Bay Shore and charged her with third-degree grand larceny, police said. She will be held overnight at the Fourth Precinct in Smithtown and arraigned Friday at First District Court in Central Islip. Defense attorney information for her was not immediately available Thursday evening.