Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
A Branford woman was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 4, after a local business reported stolen checks, one of which was cashed for over $300.
On Saturday, Jan. 25, Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Deputy Dustin Wagner was called to Sisters Cafe in Branford in reference to a burglary and fraud. According to the report, Deputy Wagner made contact with the owner of Sisters Cafe, who stated that four checks had been stolen from the restaurant’s checkbook and that one of the checks had been forged and cashed for $337.68. The owner placed stop orders on the other three missing checks.
The owner provided Deputy Wagner with a copy of the check that was processed, which was made out to a local business owner for the amount. The report states that a note on the check stated, “Work performed from 1/09/2025-01/01/2025.” The check had the owner’s signature forged onto it.
The owner also stated that, during the previous week, someone had stolen $300 from the bank envelope. The owner’s daughter then took the envelope home so no one else could steal from it.
After providing the information, the owner believed that 29-year-old Kylie Bustillo was responsible for the crimes committed. According to the owner, Bustillo had access to the building and the handwriting on the checks was similar to hers. The owner provided a ticket with Bustillo’s handwriting to compare to the signature on the checks.
Deputy Wagner then spoke with Bustillo’s mother and showed her the check that had been processed. According to the report, her mother stated that the handwriting on the check looked exactly like Bustillo’s. She also shared that Bustillo and her husband, who had been unemployed, were going through hard times and had been severely behind on their bills.
After speaking with Bustillo’s mother, Deputy Wagner drove to her residence on River Run Road in Branford to discuss the incident. When Deputy Wagner confronted Bustillo, she allegedly became defensive about the situation and angry. She denied having a key to the cafe and said that she did not need the $300 she was accused of stealing, claiming her husband had just earned $6,000 in 10 days. Though Deputy Wagner had not shared the dollar amount with her, Bustillo knew it.
She further told Deputy Wagner that she had been out of town from Jan. 13 to Jan. 19, but the check was written on Jan. 21.
When asked about the handwriting, Bustillo allegedly told Deputy Wagner, “Handwriting is handwriting.”
Later, Deputy Wagner observed a phone number on the check, which was the number of the person to whom the check was made out. When questioned, the individual stated that she owned a cleaning business and had performed work for Bustillo, who gave her the check and claimed to be the owner of Sisters Cafe.
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Bustillo was arrested at her residence and charged with burglary, petit theft, fraud and forgery. She was transported to the Suwannee County Jail, where her bond was set for $17,500. She bonded out on Friday, Feb. 7.