School Worker Accused of Exaggerating Injuries

Detectives with the California Department of Insurance arrested an instructional aide for the Baldwin Park Unified School District on two counts of workers’ compensation fraud for allegedly misrepresenting the extent of her injuries and mental health conditions. Juanita D. Schmittle, 50, claimed that she injured her right wrist, left knee and left hip after slipping on a wet floor, the Insurance Department said in a statement Thursday. Schmittle said her injuries became more severe, which caused her to develop psychological problems. The Insurance Department said it launched an investi...