A man who stole a wallet from a victim’s car in the parking lot of a gym in Encinitas went on a shopping spree with stolen credit cards, racking up more than $1,000 at businesses across San Diego.
On Oct. 26 – sometime between 7:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. – the unknown man stole a backpack from a locked locker inside an L.A. Fitness gym located at 201 S. El Camino Real. Inside the backpack, he found a car key. He used that key to unlock the victim’s vehicle, which was in the parking lot of the gym. From there, he stole a wallet from inside the car, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) said.
Investigators said the burglary suspect used several credit cards inside the victim’s wallet at different retail and convenience stores in La Jolla and the Midway area. In all, he racked up $1,000 on the stolen cards.
The suspect was captured on surveillance video during a few of his shopping trips. The SDSO said he’s described as being in his 40s, standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 185 pounds. He has brown hair.
In some of the images released by deputies on Thursday, he’s wearing a light blue polo-style shirt, gray jeans, a white baseball cap, black Nike sneakers and a light brown jacket. During one of the times when he used a stolen credit card, he was seen getting out of a white, newer model, four-door Infinity.
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The suspect is wanted for burglary and credit card fraud. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information on this case can contact the SDSO’s North Coastal Sheriff’s Station at (760) 966-3500 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.
