CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Police in Chester Township arrested a contractor working at a senior's home for allegedly stealing and using the resident's debit card for unauthorized purchases totaling more than $8,300.
Alejandro Rangel Moreno, 35, faces multiple felony charges, including theft, identity theft, misuse of credit cards and receiving stolen property, police said in a Facebook post.
Police confirmed to News 5 that Moreno was working on drywall at a 73-year-old woman's house when the debit card went missing.
"She recently had gotten her debit card, pin number and written it down and left it in her home which was always a safe location," Detective Sergeant Andrew Centrackio with Chester Township Police said.
The investigation revealed the stolen card was used for unauthorized transactions across Cleveland, Columbus, Brooklyn and Ohio City.
According to police, video surveillance from several locations showed the suspect attempting to conceal his identity with a mask during transactions.
Now, Det. Sgt. Centrackio hopes others will learn from this and keep important documents and belongings somewhere safe, even more than many have thought about before.
"I would say anyone is susceptible to this," he said. "You are your best self defense against falling victim to these kinds of crimes.Nowhere is safe now cause you can be victimized on your computer, your phones, your financial records and as we saw in his case, you can be victimized within your home."
The Chester Township Police Department worked with multiple agencies during the investigation, including the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center, the Geauga County Prosecutor's Office, and the Cleveland Metro Housing Authority Police Department.
Police say Moreno, a Mexican national, is having his immigration status reviewed by federal authorities.
He is slated to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 14.
