KYLE, Texas - Eight people have been arrested in connection with identity fraud cases over the last six months, says the Kyle Police Department (KPD).
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Identity theft cases rising, eight arrested in Kyle
Eight arrests have been made in Kyle after discovering hundreds of pieces of identity theft evidence.
From July to December 2021, Kyle officers investigated five cases of identity theft.
On July 31, after officers arrived to investigate a report of dogs left unattended in a vehicle at HEB, they noticed the vehicle's temporary license plate was fake. The vehicle was later discovered as stolen out of Austin, says KPD.
Officers took 36-year-old John Cucheran and 29-year-old Brandon Pangilinan, both of Cibolo, into custody. A further investigation also revealed that there were 59 pieces of identifying information and 51 stolen and altered checks, and multiple ledgers of people's names and social security numbers.
Cucheran and Pangilinan were both charged with fraudulent use and possession of identifying information and several narcotics-related charges.
On Sept. 11, a patrol officer noticed that a vehicle in a Kyle gas station parking lot was displaying a stolen license plate, says KPD.
The investigation then revealed over 50 pieces of stolen mail, 70 pieces of identifying information, 18 stolen credit and/or debit cards, and 40 altered or fictitious government documents. Police also found out a second stolen vehicle was in Kyle.
28-year-old Samuel Toth of Kyle and 28-year-old Jennifer Serna of Austin were both charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debit card information, theft of mail, and tampering with government records. They also face charges for narcotics and weapons possession.
On Oct. 22, officers received a suspicious vehicle report at the Storage King in the 19500 block of I-35. 38-year-old Heather Bean of Buda was identified and later charged as a suspect in a theft at the storage units.
KPD says officers discovered Bean's vehicle had been fraudulently obtained from a dealership using stolen information. A search also revealed four stolen credit cards, 56 pieces of identifying information and 102 pieces of stolen mail.
Bean was charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, theft of mail, burglary of a building, possession of a false ID, fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debit card information, theft of property and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Bean and her alleged accomplice 32-year-old Mitchell Cantrell of Buda were also charged with narcotics possession.
Victoria Nino
On Dec. 2, after being called to The Strand Apartments for suspicious circumstances, officers arrested 30-year-old Victoria Nino of Austin, who allegedly tried to evade officers in her vehicle but was safely apprehended.
Police discovered the vehicle had been stolen out of Austin and a search of the vehicle revealed three stolen credit cards and over 30 pieces of stolen mail.
Nino was charged with burglary of a vehicle, forgery, theft of mail, evading arrest, driving while intoxicated as well as narcotics and weapon possession crimes, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and numerous warrants from other agencies.
Melissa Moncada
On Dec. 28, officers arrested 31-year-old Melissa Moncada of Austin, after a traffic stop for speeding.
A search of her vehicle turned up 250 pieces of stolen mail, 61 stolen checks, 16 credit and/or debit cards, and over 50 pieces of identifying information, says KPD.
Moncada was charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, theft of mail, 16 counts of credit/debit card abuse, and numerous narcotics-related charges.
Moncada had previously been arrested by Kyle Police in 2018 for similar stolen mail and identity theft charges.
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Better Business Bureau talks about identity theft
So many aspects of our lives have undergone massive digital transformations in the past year and identity thieves have changed as well to better exploit people in an increasingly digital world. Heather Massey has some surprising facts.
KPD is encouraging residents to take steps like these to actively protect themselves against identity theft:
- Limit the personal financial information in your purse or wallet and keep Social Security cards at home
- Carry only the credit and bank cards you need
- Shred financial documents when they are no longer needed
- Don’t give out personal information unless you are sure you are dealing with a trusted individual, or a legitimate representative for essential governmental or business purposes
- Use two-factor authentication for online security, where possible
- Use a password manager and/or strong passwords, including a mixture of capital letters, numbers, and symbols, and change passwords frequently
- Check bank or credit statements regularly
- Check credit reports regularly
- Don’t click on links sent in unsolicited email
- Be careful using social network platforms — for example, do not make your birthdate or Social Security number readily available
KPD says its Criminal Investigations Division is working on notifying all victims of the frauds and thefts and arranging for items to be returned to their rightful owners.
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MORE HEADLINES:
Arrests in Kyle result in 70 charges connected to vehicle burglaries
Hays County Sheriff's Office arrests man suspected of mail theft
TWC: Scammers using stolen identities to claim unemployment money
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