stealing

Published on: March 7, 2018

Caregiver Arrested for Stealing Credit Cards from Elderly Patients

A woman was taken into custody on allegations that she stole the identities of at least two of the elderly patients for whom she provided in-home health care, and used the information for her personal financial gain.

Aujana Johnson-Payne works for an agency in Orange County where she is sent on live-in assignments to clients’ homes, and she supplies them with meeting their healthcare needs. Many of the patients are senior citizens who live with debilitating symptoms after suffering strokes, developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other serious afflictions.

Johnson-Payne has been accused of abusing her position with two elderly patients in her care when at some point during her employment she reportedly stole their credit card or debit card information and assumed their identities to make purchases for herself.

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Published on: January 8, 2018

Three Accused of Stealing Luggage from Airport Baggage Claim

by Staycie R. Sena

Three suspects have been arrested for alleged theft when they were discovered taking luggage that did not belong to them at the Miami International Airport. The bags in question were taken during a three month period in the middle of the holiday travel season.

On December 15 a passenger on board a flight arrived at the Miami International Airport and learned that her luggage was not on the conveyor belt at her designated baggage claim area. The woman called Miami-Dade police and told them of the incident three days later on December 18, which led to the authorities viewing the video surveillance camera footage from the time period in which the event took place.

The video displayed a man, later identified as Wilbert Cabrera-Valdes, removing two bags from the belt, one of which was recognized as the woman caller’s possessions.

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Published on: November 19, 2017

Man Dubbed “Diaper Bandit” Leads Authorities on Chase with Child in Car

by Staycie R. Sena

A Los Angeles man accused of stealing diapers from stores for close to a full year tried to escape police on Wednesday by leading them on a chase that resulted in an accident. A small child was in the car with the driver during the event.

23-year-old Darrion Tyrone Parker, a man Los Angeles County prosecutors have nicknamed the “diaper bandit,” has allegedly been involved in a string of robberies beginning in December 2016 and continuing through Wednesday. He is said to have stolen packages of diapers from various grocery stores and retail outlets in and around Long Beach by using threat of force, according to the DA’s office.

When Parker had attempted a robbery on Wednesday an employee of the store chased him into the parking lot and accosted him about his purported sticky fingers.

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Published on: October 11, 2017

Auto Broker Cheats Car Buyers and Sellers out of Millions

by Staycie R. Sena

Scott Radtke, owner of California Motoring Company in Clovis, CA works as a broker by matching interested buyers with sellers of automobiles. Court documents allege Radtke conned at least $2.8 million from 17 car dealerships, 11 financial institutions and 48 customers through fraudulent car sales transactions.

Beginning in September 2016 the Department of Motor Vehicles started receiving several complaints from Radtke’s customers who had purchased cars and never received titles or registration, and car dealerships that never received money for sales. DMV issued a statement that they have a zero tolerance policy for business conducted in this manner and they opened an investigation.

Radtke is suspected of employing several methods of stealing money from clients, many of whom were reported as elderly. Some of the accusations include scamming customers who had purchased vehicles for which he accepted payment. He then forged their names on fraudulent loan applications or payment plans from lenders for thousands of dollars over the amount of the initial transactions, which would force them by contract to foot the bill for their purchased vehicle a second time. Another alleged ploy took the form of accepting and selling trade-in vehicles without giving customers the money he had acquired from the sales.

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Published on: December 22, 2016

Flash Mob Stealing Makeup Finally Caught

by Staycie R. Sena

Several Ulta beauty stores have been hit by thieves all around the Southern California area, including the Cerritos, Lakewood, Tustin, Rosemead, Redondo Beach, and The Rolling Hills Estates stores. Stores are claiming estimated loss of $100,000.

Seargant Mark Moffet of the Lomita Sheriff’s Department has said the thieves operated in what he called a “mob style.” They would enter the store as a group, spread out and stuff as much merchandise in their pockets as they could, and then rush out before police had a chance to arrive.

An eight person team hit the Rolling Hills Estates store, where officers were able to identify a known gang member as one of the suspects. “Once we identified some players, the flood gates opened up,” Sergeant Moffet said.

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