C-store clerk faces murder charges for killing suspected beer thief
A Las Vegas c-store store clerk faces murder charges after police say she shot and killed a man stealing beer. The Clark County Coroner has identified the man as 56-year-old Robert Lee Cook.
The deadly shooting happened Friday when police say Cook was trying to steal beer from a Sinclair gas station. That’s when the clerk Suse Antunez-Garcia ran outside and shot him. Police say 26-year-old Suse Antunez-Garcia shot and killed 56-year-old Robert Lee Cook after he tried stealing cases of beer.
8 News Now has learned Cook, and another woman, were trying to get away with a few cases of beer. Police say the store manager ran after them and some kind of fight started. That’s when Antunez-Garcia got a gun out of her purse, went outside and started shooting. “You can’t kill a person for a beer run,” said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
He says they see cases similar to this every few years. What it comes down to, is the law of self-defense. “You can use deadly force if you’re defending yourself or others, if you have a reasonable fear that you’re going to be seriously injured or killed. And those aren’t the facts of this case,” Wolfson said. “There was no indication whatsoever that the thief was armed or posed any kind of a significant health threat.” Now, one man is dead and a woman faces the justice system.” [Source: 8News Now]
LP associate injured being dragged by fleeing suspect
On Monday at approximately 9:30 p.m., Paso Robles Police officers responded to the 2700 block of Spring St. for a reported vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision. Upon arrival, officers located the victim injured in the roadway. The victim had numerous cuts and abrasions. Through the initial investigation, it was determined that the incident started at Rite Aide.
The victim was working for Ride Aide as a Loss Prevention Agent. The victim said he noticed a white male adult leave the store without paying for several items. When the loss prevention officer went to contact the shoplifting suspect, the suspect ran to the parking lot and got into a white pickup truck.
The suspect drove out of the parking lot at a high rate of speed with the loss prevention officer still holding onto the vehicle. The vehicle continued north bound where the loss prevention officer eventually was unable to maintain a grip on the vehicle and fell into the roadway, causing his injuries. The suspect vehicle fled the scene. This investigation is ongoing, and if anyone has information regarding this incident they are encouraged to call the Paso Robles Police Department. [Source: Paso Robles Daily News]
Duo arrested for gas scheme using 120 counterfeit credit cards
A pair of skimming suspects were caught Monday attempting to purchase large amounts of diesel fuel at gas stations throughout Florida using stolen and fraudulent credit cards. The Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office tells WFLA 27-year-old Victor Fonseca and 42-year-old Yasniel Hernandez were arrested yesterday at a Circle K in Gibsonton. The diesel fuel was stored in tanks/bladders stored in the cargo areas of both vehicles. Detectives tell us between the two of them they had 120 counterfeit credit cards.
Fonseca and Hernandez were each charged with Trafficking in Counterfeit Credit Cards and Fraudulently Obtaining Diesel Fuel/Unlawful Conveyance of Diesel Fuel. Further investigations will be conducted to identify the victims whose credit card information was obtained and encoded on cloned credit cards, and additional fraud and identity theft charges will follow. [Source: WFLA8 News]
Local ordinance appears to be lowering skimmer incidents
According to Cape Coral Police (CCPD), skimmer incidents at gas stations are down significantly from the years 2017 and 2018. CCPD says a report showed that there were 81 skimmers located in Southwest Florida in 2017 and Cape Coral had its fair share unfortunately. There were 11 cases in each year of 2017 and 2018. There has only been one incident in 2019 so far.
The change comes after the Cape Coral City Council unanimously passed a Retail Gas Pump Security Measures ordinance on March 5, 2018. The ordinance was presented by Chief David Newlan who explained that the ordinance requires the businesses to add safeguards to deter criminals from placing their skimmers into the pumps.
CCPD says that as part of the ordinance, the business has to install a device or system that will render the gas pump, or the scanning device in the gas pump, inoperable if there is an unauthorized opening of the gas pump panel. Or a device or system that encrypts the customer payment card information in the scanning device. It is up to the business to choose and purchase which option for the security measure they wished to use. [Source: WINK News]
Employee accused in cash theft of $12,500
An Iowa woman faces a theft charge after police say she took cash made from false transactions while working at Hy-Vee in Iowa City. Barbara Lee Jackson, 39, was arrested on Friday in connection to false transactions police say she started making in October. According to the complaint, the latest false transaction she made at the Hy-Vee store was on March 25.
Jackson allegedly created over 255 false beer keg and tapper return deposit transactions. The deposits total between $30 and $70 each. Police say Jackson took the cash made by the transactions, resulting in a total loss of about $12,500. She allegedly admitted to police she made several false transactions but didn’t know how many. The loss prevention team at Hy-Vee has documents on the thefts, according to a report. [Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen]
Mom and 11-year-old daughter busted
A Florida woman is accused of having her 11-year-old daughter help steal more than two dozen items from a Walmart. Yamila Quintana Hernandez, her daughter and another woman are accused of stealing 31 items totaling $249.58 on Monday from the Walmart in Spring Hill, according to arrest records. They’re suspected of stealing jewelry, women’s clothing, a handbag with wallets, pet toys and makeup.
“We are so sorry. We didn’t mean to take the stuff,” Hernandez said, according to arrest records. “We will give everything back. Just let us go.” Surveillance video shows Hernandez pointing to several items for her daughter to conceal. Hernandez, 41, is charged with retail theft. 10News has requested the surveillance video from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. Wendy Rosalia Ayala, 34, is also charged with retail theft.
Hernandez, her daughter and Ayala are accused of putting the stolen items in their purses. Loss prevention at Walmart caught Hernandez and her daughter. Authorities then called Ayala, who agreed to return to the store. Ayala offered to pay for the stolen items with a credit card. “I’ll pay for the stuff, just let me go,” Ayala said, according to arrest records. Ayala had her 5-year-old son and her daughter with her during the incident, according to arrest records. Hernandez and Ayala are scheduled to appear in court on April 17. [Source: WTSP10 News]
