Costa Mesan arraigned

A former employee of the Orange County Performing Arts Center accused

of embezzling $1.6 million pleaded not guilty Friday at her

arraignment in Orange County Superior Court, said the district

attorney’s office.

Ana Limbaring, 53, of Costa Mesa, was arrested by Costa Mesa

Police Monday, following an investigation by the arts center.

Limbaring remains in custody at Orange County Jail, held on $2

million bail.

Immigration officials determined that Limbaring is not a citizen

of the United States and has been placed on an “immigration hold,”

said Deputy Dist. Atty. Randy Pawloski. Even if she posts bail, she

will not be released from jail.

Limbaring, who worked in the center’s accounts receivables

department for more than 10 years, is believed to be a citizen of the

Philippines, Pawloski said.

She is charged with multiple counts of grand theft and computer

fraud, according to a complaint filed by the Orange County district

attorney’s office Tuesday. If convicted on all counts, Limbaring

faces 10 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Orange County Performing Arts Center employees and patrons said

Thursday they were shocked and disappointed upon hearing that

Limbaring allegedly embezzled the money over the past five years.

Limbaring was responsible for collecting the arts center’s daily

cash revenue and depositing the funds directly into the center’s bank

account, prosecutors said. She was the only employee who had access

to the daily revenue deposits.

Between January 2000 and September 2005, Limbaring allegedly

skimmed money from the amounts deposited in the bank and altered

financial statements, prosecutors said.

During a routine audit of the center’s financial records, auditors

discovered discrepancies in several accounts.

Limbaring is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Oct. 13 at Harbor

Justice Center in Newport Beach.