Filipino in San Francisco arrested for theft from elderly neighbor

SAN FRANCISCO – Roberto Daguman, a 62-year-old Filipino, of San Francisco was arrested and charged Monday, Jan. 9, with 21 felonies including theft from an elderly adult, grand theft and multiple counts of forgery. Daguman has also been charged with two misdemeanors.

“Preying on the elderly is particularly cruel and callous,” said District Attorney George Gascón.  “We’re taught to love our neighbors, and yet victims of these heartbreaking crimes are often preyed upon by those depend upon.”

Daguman’s arrest came after J.P. Morgan Chase bank employees alerted authorities about suspicious checks being written to Daguman from the elderly victim’s account.  San Francisco Police Officers responded to the bank to conduct an investigation and Daguman was arrested at the scene.

According to court records, Daguman used to live next door to the victim and was a friend and confidant of nearly 40 years.  It is alleged that over the course of the last year, Daguman stole more than 20 checks from the victim’s checkbook and wrote them out to himself in amounts ranging between $400 and $15,000.  The total amount of the theft alleged is more than $65,000.

Daguman was arrested while accompanying the victim to the bank.

Daguman will be arraigned in Department 12 on Jan. 17 at 9 a.m.  The case was developed through an investigation conducted by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and the San Francisco Police Department.  Assistant District Attorney Phoebe Maffei is the prosecutor assigned to the case.