LOS ANGELES (CA)
Los Angeles Times
By Stuart Pfeifer, Los Angeles Times
August 25, 2012
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles suspended a priest Friday amid allegations that he stole nearly $300,000 from an elderly widow who was a member of his parish.
Michalena Jones, 79, filed a lawsuit this week that accused Father Peter Valdez of befriending her after her husband’s death and using his influence to steal $284,000 over a seven-year period.
The archdiocese placed Valdez on administrative leave, “pending the resolution of this matter,” said Tod Tamberg, an archdiocese spokesman.
Jones said she met Valdez at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Palmdale after her husband died in 2003. The priest persuaded Jones to give him $150,000 to buy a home in Downey and added his name to her checking account, which he used to make mortgage payments, the lawsuit said.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.