β€˜Brazen' Theft Leaves Two Store Owners Rattled, Left With Huge Bill

Police are looking for a man that brazenly stole from two local businesses and left them to foot a large bill, a trend police say is growing in San Diego County.

Brian Yates, owner of Drones Made Easy, and Kenny Chen, Onyx Moto Owner, both say the man spotted on security cameras made a purchase online or by phone using a fraudulent credit card and a fake ID.

When he came to pick up the merchandise, he looked right at the camera.

β€œThese guys are getting real brave coming in in person, you know, showing their face on camera,” said Kenny Chen.

The shop owners said the credit card information belonged to a man in Texas. He ended up disputing the charges, and the small businesses ended up footing the bill.

β€œIt really falls on the merchants and it hurts when you're a small business,” Yates said.

National City police say that type of theft has become an industry in the area. The suspect seen looking directly at cameras is likely a middleman for a larger ring of identity thieves.

β€œThey're definitely getting more creative inventive and it seems like the scam changes every few months,” said Yates.

These types of crimes are charged as a misdemeanor, police said, which might explain the uptick in identity theft across San Diego County.

β€œA day doesn't go by in San Diego County where we don't see two or three Be On The Look Out notices from other agencies in this county talking about an individual who is being recorded or is seen with pictures using stolen personal identifying information,” said Tom Di Zinno with the National City Police Department.

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