Three suspects were arrested for allegedly using stolen credit cards to go on a shopping spree at a Ventura County mall.
The suspects were identified as:
- Cristian Eduardo Vargas-Magana, 36, of Los Angeles
- Allison Gonzalez, 25, of Los Angeles
- Cintia Falcon, 43, of Los Angeles
They are believed to be associated with a transnational theft group, the sheriff’s department said.
On Nov. 3, Ventura County deputies were notified of suspicious activity at the Camarillo Premium Outlets around 4:30 p.m.
Detectives responded to the mall and watched as the three suspects “acted suspiciously as they exited the Armani Exchange store” and headed to their car, authorities said.
After reportedly spotting a traffic violation, authorities pulled the vehicle over. The driver, Vargas-Magana, was arrested after he reportedly presented a fake Chilean driver’s license.
He was also in possession of several credit cards with a woman’s name. An investigation revealed that one of the credit cards had just been used to purchase nearly $3,000 worth of clothing from the Armani Exchange store.
The two passengers, Falcon and Gonzalez, were also arrested for conspiracy to commit identity theft. More credit cards belonging to the same female victim and to a second female victim were allegedly found in Falcon’s possession.
One victim told deputies that her wallet had been stolen while she was shopping at a grocery store in Thousand Oaks, while the second victim said her purse was stolen at a grocery store in Ventura.
While searching the suspects’ car, deputies also found a police scanner, credit and gift card readers, tools used to defeat retail security devices, two new iPhone 17s, a pair of AirPods Pro, and approximately $3,000 in cash, all of which were seized as evidence.
One of the victims reported her wallet was stolen while shopping at a grocery store in the City of Thousand Oaks, while the second victim reported her purse had been stolen from a grocery store in the City of Ventura.
A search of the suspects’ vehicle uncovered a police scanner, credit and gift card readers, tools used to defeat retail security devices, two new iPhone 17s, a pair of AirPods Pro, and approximately $3,000 in cash, all of which were seized as evidence.
Vargas-Magana and Gonzalez were taken into custody and held on $50,000 bail. Falcon’s bail was set at $175,000 due to outstanding warrants from multiple counties, including:
- Placer County, California – Conspiracy
- San Bernardino County, California – Grand Theft
- Forsyth County, Georgia – Card Theft and Identity Theft
- Bay County, Florida – Grand Theft and Fraudulent Use of Identification
On Nov. 5, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office filed multiple felony charges against all three suspects, including:
- Grand Theft and Burglary
- Possession of Stolen Property
- Organized Retail Theft
- Possession of a Counterfeit Document
- Two counts of Identity Theft
- Possession of Burglary Tools and numerous special allegations
“Shoppers are urged not to leave purses, wallets, or other valuables unattended in shopping carts, vehicles, or on store shelves, even for a moment,” the sheriff’s department advised. “Opportunistic thieves often target distracted shoppers in crowded retail and grocery stores.”
Anyone with additional information on retail theft, vehicle/vehicle parts theft, or cargo theft is encouraged to call the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force at 805-383-8703.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Three suspects were arrested for allegedly using stolen credit cards to go on a shopping spree at a Ventura County mall. The suspects were identified as: They are believed to be associated with a transnational theft group, the sheriff’s department said. On Nov. 3, Ventura County deputies were notified of suspicious activity at the Camarillo […]
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