A Los Angeles police officer has been accused of stealing a truck from an Orange County used car lot and using the vehicle for a year after falsifying the records to reflect that it had been recovered.
45-year-old Matthew Calleros resides in Whittier, California.
Calleros is employed as an officer with the Hollenbeck division of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Last October, Calleros allegedly visited B & J Car Company in the city of Orange.
According to the salesman reportedly assisting Calleros, the man showed serious interest in purchasing a specific 2015 Chevy Silverado on the lot.
The salesman reported that he turned on the engine and allowed Calleros to inspect the vehicle. Calleros allegedly asked the agent for the Carfax report.
When the salesman was walking into the building to retrieve the requested report, he said he watched as Calleros shut the hood, got into the truck, and drove away.
The salesman chased the truck as it reportedly left the lot, but he was unsuccessful in stopping the purported thief.
The dealership reported the incident to the authorities.
Calleros allegedly halted the investigation by notifying the Vehicle Warrant Unit using another officer’s identification and telling them that the automobile had been found.
The dealership decided to cut their losses and accepted that they would not get the truck back.
Approximately a year after the alleged theft, someone called the Orange Police Department and reportedly left an anonymous tip saying that Calleros had the truck that was reported stolen from B & J.
On November 9, Calleros, who reportedly brazenly driven the stolen vehicle to the police department that day, was approached while on-duty and apprehended for the allegations.
Calleros is facing charges for felony unlawful taking of a vehicle, felony forgery of registration or license plates, and felony false personation. He was additionally charged with three counts of misdemeanor unauthorized disclosure of information from DMV records.
On February 8, Calleros entered a plea of not guilty to all of the charges against him.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.