Phone scam alert

The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department has issued a warning that scammers are phoning residents and saying there’s a warrant out for their arrest. The scammers blame unpaid tickets or skipping jury duty as the cause for the warrant. Police said, in some instances, scammers are using names of actual Los Gatos-Monte Sereno officers and spoofing caller ID, so town numbers appear on victims’ phones.

The scammers are also posing as IRS agents and private service providers, police said.

The scammers tell victims they can resolve their legal issues by obtaining a prepaid money card and calling them back with the card number.

Police confirm that neither the town nor the IRS call people about unpaid debts. They recommend residents hang up if they receive a call like this.

Embezzler sentenced

A 51-year-old Los Gatos resident has been sentenced to five years in prison for embezzling $736,000 from a Palo Alto landscaping company.

The district attorney’s office says Guadalupe Ruzic kept the company’s books for five years and wrote checks to herself, while making it appear they were contractor payments.

“The defendant’s greed and criminality brought the family-owned business to the edge of insolvency,” prosecutor Peter Waite said.

Ruzic used the money to buy Gucci handbags, jewelry, a timeshare and 49ers season tickets.

Town holiday hours

Tow offices will be closed for the holidays from Dec. 22 to Jan. 1 and will reopen Jan. 2.

The library will close Dec. 23-26 and Dec. 31 to Jan. 1.

Police patrols and dispatchers will be on duty as usual.