A Ventura County woman was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of embezzlement and fraud for stealing more than $750,000 from a Carpinteria business, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. 

Detectives started investigating in February after an organic food supplement business on Maple Avenue reported suspected embezzlement, sheriff’s spokesperson Raquel Zick said. 

Angela Elizabeth Phillips, 53, of Oak View, an employee of the business, is suspected of embezzling more than $705,000 over four years, and committing more than $48,000 in credit card fraud, Zick said. 

Sheriff’s deputies from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties arrested Phillips Tuesday in Ojai.

She was booked into the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on suspicion of grand theft; embezzlement by an employee of $400,000 or more; false impersonation; and aggravated white-collar fraud, Zick said. 

She remained in jail custody Wednesday with bail set at $800,000 according to custody records. 

Authorities did not identify the Carpinteria business where the alleged embezzlement took place. If the District Attorney’s Office files criminal charges, court documents will disclose more details about the investigation.

This is the second recent alleged embezzlement case involving a Carpinteria business. 

Two Oxnard women, mother and daughter Delia Guerrero and Delilah Strother, were charged with several felonies for allegedly using a false vendor account to steal more than $500,000 from PlanMember Financial. 

Guerrero worked at the financial services business, and the alleged embezzlement took place between 2008 and 2024. 

They both pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied special allegations in May.