A longtime former city employee who worked at Robb Field Recreation Center in Ocean Beach showed up in court Oct. 27 with a cashier’s check for $40,000 to pay restitution he owed the city from embezzlement. Rogelio Najera, Jr., 49, appeared before San Diego Superior Court Judge Eugenia Eyherabide for sentencing but received a year-long delay until Oct. 27, 2012. “It’s in his best interest to continue it for a year,” said Nancee Schwartz, his attorney, without elaborating. Deputy District Attorney Leon Shorr did not object to the delay and Najera remains free on his own recognizance. Najera declined comment. “Our main goal was to get the funds back,” said Shorr. Shorr said that while there were other funds apparently taken, it could not be proven in court that Najera was responsible for more than $40,000. Najera pleaded guilty July 21 to grand theft and Eyherabide dismissed two counts of misappropriation of public funds and falsifying public funds accounts. The city of San Diego and Robb Field are listed as victims, said Shorr. Najera faces up to a year in county jail. Najera has been working at another job, which helped him come up with the restitution. Najera worked in the Park and Recreation Department for more than 20 years and was at Robb Field most of that time. He was a city supervisor for most of the soccer and baseball games, little leagues and classes. Najera’s city supervisor at the time, Marcelina Reyes Aguilar, 47, was recently charged with two counts of unlawfully making or keeping false accounts with public money. Aguilar pleaded not guilty at her Oct. 13 arraignment before Judge David Szumowski. She also remains free on her own recognizance. Aguilar, who no longer works for the city, was not arrested, but instead was sent a notifying letter from the District Attorney’s Office about being charged and the arraignment date. She will go through the routine booking and release procedure. A preliminary hearing has been set for Dec. 15 for Aguilar. In 2006, Najera’s job at Robb Field was about to be cut from the city budget, but people signed a petition in support of him and his job was saved.