Alleged mail, identity thieves arrested by Merced police after slew of incidents
Two suspects have been booked into the Merced County jail following a string of mail and identity theft incidents, Merced police say.
Rosalinda Garcia, 34, and Mark Fenton, 36, were arrested on suspicion of multiple theft-related charges, according to a department news release. Fenton is known to have a prior arrest record in Merced County, Detective Sgt. Reynaldo Alvarez said.
Victims of the alleged thieves reported mail theft, followed by credit cards being falsely opened in their names and money being taken from checking accounts.
Around 30 to 40 victims are suspected to have been targeted by the alleged thieves, Alvarez said. Police said they will be in contact with each person.
Detective Jeremy Salyers had investigated the reports since November 2019, leading him to Garcia and Fenton as suspects. Police say the two individuals are friends.
“As we started getting these reports, we were able to see that they were using these credit cards throughout different cities in Merced (County),” Alvarez said. Surveillance footage allowed Merced police to identify the suspects.
Police are searching for at least one other suspect, Alvarez said.
The pair was tied to an address on the 1800 block of Cheyenne Drive. A Jan. 16 search warrant allowed Merced police detectives to search the residence, which revealed tools used to create false checks.
Other items obtained illegally by the suspects included more than 80 credit cards, 100 checks and vehicle registration paperwork, police said. Fenton and Garcia were taken into custody.
Fenton allegedly crafted a key that allowed him to break into mail boxes throughout Merced, Alvarez said. The locks have since been changed.
