Bolingbrook Woman Caught Stealing from Her Employer: Police Report

A Bolingbrook woman reached her hand into the cookie jar once too often and now is alleged to have been caught stealing money from her employer, Joliet Police Department Capt. Tab Jensen said.

Jensen said 49-year-old Valentina Hernandez, 104 N. Lancaster, Bolingbrook, was arrested Wednesday on charges of deception and theft of funds—both felonies—following an investigation into her alleged dealings at the Collins Street Currency Exchange, 405 Ward Ave., Joliet.

Jensen said a report was filed with police by officials from the Currency Exchange on Oct. 1 after an internal audit revealed irregularities and that Hernandez allegedly had written numerous checks out of her own account totaling almost $14,000 and was attempting to cash them herself.

"The currency exchange policy is that another employee must cash the checks," Jensen said, but that did not happen in this case.

He said currency exchange records indicated a pattern of behavior on Hernandez's part that was traced as far back as December of 2012.

She was arrested by Joliet police and transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility. Hernandez was awaiting a bond hearing on Thursday.