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A police department employee has been skimming thousands of dollars off of vehicle impoundment fees, according to the Salinas Police Department.

Late last Friday, officers arrested Community Services Officer Joseph Castro, a civilian city employee who worked at the front desk of Salinas PD for four years. Castro was responsible for helping citizens with a number of issues, including the collection of fees to get their towed vehicles back.

After a citizen complaint, police launched an investigation and discovered discrepancies in the accounting for those fees. A more extensive audit is continuing, and so far Castro is alleged to have stolen "several thousand dollars" of public funds.

Castro was placed on administrative leave following the arrest, and was booked in Monterey County Jail and booked on multiple felony charges including embezzlement of public funds, falsifying public documents, forging public documents and grand theft.