OFFICERS INVESTIGATE FRAUDULENT PURCHASES

Tehachapi Police received a report of a grand theft involving the fraudulent use of credit cards to purchase several thousand dollars of electrical tools used for high-voltage line repair and clothing from a company in Atascadero. These items were shipped to a residence in the city of Tehachapi.

An additional order for several thousand dollars of tools was placed with the same company in Atascadero with a requested shipping address of a different residence in the city of Tehachapi, police said. The owner of the company became suspicious of these large purchases and ultimately discovered both purchases were fraudulent.

On March 28, police served search warrants at a residence in the 400 block of North Mill Street and an additional residence in the 400 block of Pepper Drive. These two locations were determined to be the shipping addresses for the fraudulent purchases.

During the search of the Mill Street location, police located several thousand dollars of tools and clothing matching the items fraudulently purchased from the Atascadero company.

While no stolen property was discovered at the Pepper Drive location, police seized computers and cell phones believed to have possibly been used to complete one or both fraudulent transactions.

No suspects were found at the Mill Street location during the service of the warrant. Police interviewed the residents at the Pepper Drive location. No arrests were made at this time as the investigation and examination of evidence continues.