Wednesday, May. 26, 2010

SMadera County deputies link gang member to crime spree

Wanted on numerous charges, including grand theft and being a felon in possession of ammunition, a validated gang member has been linked to passing a counterfeit check, stemming from mail theft that occurred late March/early April of 2010.

Cesar Torres, 32, sits in jail, arrested late last week. His booking sheet shows a crime spree dating as far back as June 2009.

The first case opened in June 2009 involving scrap metal stolen at a ranch on Road 20. Ag Crimes Detective Dan Kerber believed the suspect in this case was Cesar Torres. After a lengthy investigation, a $55,000 warrant was issued for his arrest.

Meantime, Torres was also wanted on a no bail warrant for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Torres successfully managed to dodge authorities until last week.

First came his arrest for the no bail warrant, followed by the grand theft complaint, and within a few short hours of his booking, Madera County Deputy Sheriff Adam McEwen had completed his investigation into a mail theft that blew into a counterfeit case, naming Cesar Torres as the suspect.

The counterfeit case occurred May 14. Deputy McEwen took a call from a store owner who said a man had cashed a bogus check in the amount of $569.

The check, supposedly issued by a car insurance company, was made out to Cesar Torres. But the address on the check coincidently belonged to a woman who had recently filed an identity theft packet after learning her mail had been stolen.

Last week Deputy McEwen followed the money trail straight to the company who supposedly issued the check, then to the victim who had lost her mail and finally to the man who cashed the fictitious note.

According to Madera County Department of Corrections booking records, on June 20, Torres was handed a 270 day sentence for the weapons charge.