Suspect arrested after allegedly stealing more than $30K worth of merchandise
The Harris County Texas Precinct 1 Constables office has arrested a man accused of stealing more than $30,000 worth of merchandise from at least 15 Home Depot stores across the Houston area. Juan Carlos Lopez, 32, was arrested Friday morning. Lopez is accused of switching low-cost price tags with high dollar price tags on items such as generators, welding equipment, chainsaws and paint sprayers.
Deputies say he purchased the items from Home Depot, and then pawned the equipment for a profit. Eyewitness News was present when Lopez was escorted out of Precinct 1 in handcuffs. ABC13 reporter Courtney Fischer asked Lopez if he had anything to say about the charges. “I have nothing to say,” Lopez said over and over again, shrugging his shoulders. He did not deny or confess to the charges. Investigators say to them, Lopez confessed, though deputies would not reveal what he said. ”It’s still under investigation. We know a few things right now,” said Deputy Joseph Bowden. “We know there was some price tag swapping.”
Bowden went on to say Lopez has been running this scam for quite some time. Bowden is working with Home Depot, reviewing surveillance video of Lopez inside the store. ”The more I look into it; I’ve learned we’re going back a couple years. He has been arrested for it before,” Bowden said. Lopez could face more charges, and there could be more arrests. Investigators are looking into the possibility that more people could be involved. They are also investigating the pawnshop, Cash America, where Lopez allegedly pawned many of the items. [Source: ABC13 Eyewitness News]
Banks scammed out of $70,000 by 18-year-old
Officials said an 18-year-old in Henrico County, Virginia, is in custody after allegedly orchestrating bank fraud that cost banks in Henrico nearly $70,000. Local news outlet WRIC reports Kaesha Frances Brooks would deposit bogus checks into brand new checking accounts and then withdraw some of the money before banks caught on.
According to officials, Brooks “executed a card cracking scheme” by recruiting people to open up checking accounts at Virginia Credit Union. She would increase the balance in those accounts with bogus checks and later with some money from the accounts from ATM’s. Detectives said Brooks used social media to recruit help for the scheme. Court documents show that Brooks got away with the fraud for more than a year before US Marshals arrested her. A judge ruled Brooks a flight risk and denied her bond. Brooks will remain in jail until her next court date on June 25. Investigators believe that while Brooks stole roughly $70,000, although the real total could be more than double. There is no mention where the money possibly went. [Source: WSET13 News]
Notorious jewel thief captured after nation-wide heist
A notorious jewel thief wanted across the country learned his lesson the hard way after stealing from a local jewelry store in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was captured just 24 hours later after someone recognized him on Facebook. Here’s how it all played out:
“Nothing was rushed. He was extremely calm… nothing seemed overly suspicious about him. He just seemed like a normal guy walking in,” said Kelli Mayfield, still in shock when we interviewed her Thursday afternoon about the theft that happened in her North Little Rock jewelry store the day before. “She had pulled out a ring to show him. He was also wanting to look at other things, so she was putting things back and pulling them out, back and forth, so it all pretty much happened right here, right in front of her. Just three feet away,” she said as she showed me the case the ring was stolen from. The jewelry storeowner was stunned when she posted what happened on social media and immediately jewelers from across the business identified the suspect as Richard Laracuente.
Police say they have a pretty good idea that he’s the same suspect that’s been hitting up mom-and-pop shops across the southeast. Twenty minutes across town, the suspect walked in to Rock City Harley Davidson and was asking employees about a battery for his motorcycle. One of those employees recognized him from social media, called Little Rock police, and he was picked up just outside. “It’s awesome,” Mayfield said after she heard the news. “It just goes to show, getting the word out, everybody out there, they do help. I’m sure that helped to lead to all of it. It’s awesome.” Laracuente was questioned by North Little Rock Detectives regarding the heist and has been charged with one count of felony theft of property. He will be held for theft in other states as well. [Source: THV11 News]
Police arrest two men on 203 counts of credit card fraud
In a press release, the Grand Island police department said they arrested Rafael Figueredo Hidalgo,30, Grand Island, and Andres J. Aguila Carrasco, 25, Grand Island, on numerous counts of using stolen credit card information encoded on credit or debit cards. The police said Hildalgo was arrested for 119 counts of felony first-degree forgery and 22 counts of felony and misdemeanor criminal possession of a financial transaction device. Carrasco was booked on 84 counts of felony first-degree forgery and 20 counts of felony and misdemeanor criminal possession of a financial transaction device As of Thursday morning, Grand Island Police said they were still working on related transactions with the most recent reports coming in as of Wednesday. As of Thursday morning, neither Hidalgo nor Carrasco had been formally charged. State statutes indicate that first-degree forgery is a class three felony that carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine. Felony criminal possession of a financial transaction device is a class 2-A felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Misdemeanor possession of a financial transaction device carries a maximum penalty of three months in prison and/or a $500 fine. [Source: NBC12 Nebraska]
Two men rob bagel store with toddler in tow
Two men are under arrest for an armed robbery at a Florida Einstein Bros. Bagels. Boca Raton police say one of them brought a gun, but what else he brought along is truly shocking… His 4-year-old son. Police say he left the little boy waiting in the car with another man while he was cleaning out the safe. “For me it’s really sad because I have kids too,” said Sherly Polo, an employee at Einstein Bros. Bagels on North Federal Highway. Polo, a mother of two, was taking out the trash at closing time, just as another employee did at about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday night when a man stuck a gun in his face and forced him back inside. She finds it hard to believe that a man would commit an armed robbery, and bring his young son along.
Police say while 24-year-old Karl Lormeus of Lantana, the alleged gunman, was robbing the bagel shop, his 4-year-old son was waiting for him in the car with 24-year-old Johnny Fontus, 24 of Boynton Beach, the alleged getaway driver. They say Lormeus confronted an employee at gunpoint outside and made him go back inside the store, then forced two employees to open the safe. Police say Lormeus stole about $2,200 in cash, plus both employees’ iPhones, according to officials. He also ripped the landline phone off the wall before he left. A cellphone employee at a store nearby felt the car was suspicious and got the license plate number.
Police later stopped the car on I-95. “You’re working and somebody point a gun at you and the thing about it, you got a 4-year-old in the back of that car,” Polo said. Police say by bringing his young son along, Lormeus was putting the child in danger, especially if there had been a chase on I-95. “I think anybody would consider that not a smart idea, not only not to commit a crime but to bring your 4- year-old with you when you do it,” said Mark Economou, spokesman for the Boca Raton Police Department. Both Lormeus and Fontus are charged with armed robbery and grand theft. Lormeus is also being charged with child neglect. The boy was not hurt and was turned over to DCF, police said. He was returned to his biological mother. [Source: CBS12 News]
Fourteen arrested in shoplifting sting
In a press release, the Grand Island police department said they arrested Rafael Figueredo Hidalgo,30, Grand Island, and Andres J. Aguila Carrasco, 25, Grand Island, on numerous counts of using stolen credit card information encoded on credit or debit cards. The police said Hildalgo was arrested for 119 counts of felony first-degree forgery and 22 counts of felony and misdemeanor criminal possession of a financial transaction device. Carrasco was booked on 84 counts of felony first-degree forgery and 20 counts of felony and misdemeanor criminal possession of a financial transaction device As of Thursday morning, Grand Island Police said they were still working on related transactions with the most recent reports coming in as of Wednesday. As of Thursday morning, neither. Hidalgo nor Carrasco had been formally charged. State statutes indicate that first-degree forgery is a class three felony that carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine. Felony criminal possession of a financial transaction device is a class 2-A felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Misdemeanor possession of a financial transaction device carries a maximum penalty of three months in prison and/or a $500 fine. [Source: Anchorage Daily News]