Police Commander Arrested, Wife Sought In Pleasanton Elder Abuse Case
PLEASANTON (CBS SF) - Pleasanton police arrested a former Pinole police commander Friday and were seeking his wife on suspicion of defrauding and abusing an elderly man.
Matthew Messier, 36, was arrested following a months-long investigation into an elder abuse case reported by Alameda County Adult Protective Services on behalf of an 82-year-old Pleasanton man, said police Sgt. Kurt Schlehuber.
Messier, a Pleasanton resident, and his wife Elizabeth Regalado, 30, allegedly used his position of authority to gain the elderly victim's trust and then placed the man's entire estate into a trust only they controlled, Schlehuber said.
Messier was employed by Pinole police at the time the incident was reported.
He was arrested on a warrant on suspicion of grand theft, three counts of attempted grand theft, four counts of elder abuse, forgery, two counts of registering a stolen document, criminal conspiracy and practicing law without a license, police said.
Regalado is wanted for one count of criminal conspiracy.
Anyone with information on Regalado's whereabouts or information about this case should contact Pleasanton police at (925) 931-5100 and reference case 12-26567.
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