Several months ago, an unknown suspect broke into a victim’s vehicle and stole her wallet, according to the Santa Ana Police Department in this week’s Wanted Wednesday feature.
On 09/02/2025 and 09/03/2025, the suspect used the victim’s stolen information to make multiple withdrawals at several banking locations in the cities of Placentia, Fullerton, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Anaheim.
A recent attempt at another fraudulent withdrawal occurred on 12/24/2025 in the city of Santa Ana.
The police released a picture of the suspect with the hope that someone might be able to identify him. He appears to be a burly Latino with a bald head. In the picture he was wearing sunglasses and a light blue Nike polo shirt.
Criminals often do not realize that ATM’s and banks are full of surveillance cameras. If they go to a branch with a stolen card their image is likely to be captured and shared with the police.
Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect or his identity is asked to contact Police Investigative Specialist G. Ferretti at (714) 245-8418 or GFerretti@santa-ana.org.
Possible Penalties the Suspect Could Face (California law)
Auto Burglary (PC 459 / 460(b))
- Entering a locked vehicle to steal.
- Can be filed as a misdemeanor or felony.
- Misdemeanor: up to 1 year in county jail.
- Felony: up to 3 years in county jail.
Identity Theft (PC 530.5)
- Using someone’s personal information without permission.
- Can be misdemeanor or felony.
- Misdemeanor: up to 1 year in county jail.
- Felony: 16 months, 2 years, or 3 years.
- Each use of the stolen identity can be a separate charge.
- Restitution is required.
Fraudulent Bank Withdrawals / Theft
- If more than $950 taken: Grand Theft (PC 487).
- Misdemeanor: up to 1 year.
- Felony: 16 months, 2 years, or 3 years.
- If under $950: Petty Theft (PC 488).
- Up to 6 months in jail.
- Multiple small thefts can be combined or charged as felonies in some cases.
Forgery (PC 470)
- Using stolen ID or pretending to be the victim at a bank.
- Can be misdemeanor or felony.
- Misdemeanor: up to 1 year.
- Felony: up to 3 years.
Attempted Fraudulent Withdrawal
- Even if the attempt fails, attempt charges still apply.
- Penalty is usually half of the completed crime.
Overall Possible Consequences
- Multiple felony counts across several cities.
- Potential several-year sentence depending on amount stolen and number of charges.
- Mandatory restitution to the victim.
- Harsher penalties if the suspect has prior convictions.
Related Crime Data in Orange County
AUTO BURGLARY / VEHICLE BREAK‑INS (Orange County)
- Orange County experiences a burglary rate of 3.738 per 1,000 residents per year. This includes auto burglary and other property burglaries. [crimegrade.org]
- Motor‑vehicle theft specifically occurs at an annual rate of 21.3 per 100,000 residents. [crimeexplorer.com]
- Auto‑related thefts (including theft from vehicles) are among the most common “crimes of opportunity” reported by the OC Sheriff’s Department. [ocsheriff.gov]
IDENTITY THEFT (Orange County & Statewide Context)
- Orange County does not publish a standalone identity‑theft rate by county, but identity theft is categorized under “financial crimes” and is noted as one of the fastest‑growing crime types investigated by the OC Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Detail. [ocsheriff.gov]
- Statewide California data shows identity theft is extremely common:
- California recorded 135,575 identity‑theft reports just in Q1–Q3 of 2025. [omniwatch.com]
- The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metro (which includes northern Orange County cities) ranks #6 nationally with 71,624 identity‑theft reports in 2024. [omniwatch.com]
- Because identity‑theft patterns cluster around population centers, Orange County experiences a similar high‑frequency trend, especially in cities like Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Garden Grove.
BANK‑RELATED FRAUD / FRAUDULENT WITHDRAWALS
- The OC Sheriff identifies financial fraud (including identity‑based bank withdrawals) as one of the fastest‑growing crime categories locally. [ocsheriff.gov]
- Fraud and identity‑theft cases have increased statewide, with 1.4 million identity‑theft reports nationally and a new victim every 22 seconds. (Provides context for how frequently these crimes occur in California metro areas.) [identitytheft.org]
- While no county‑specific rate for fraudulent bank withdrawals exists, these crimes fall under identity‑theft and fraud categories that are steadily rising according to OC Sheriff and statewide data.
SUMMARY: HOW OFTEN IT HAPPENS IN ORANGE COUNTY
- Auto burglaries: Occur regularly, with a county burglary rate of 3.738 per 1,000 residents per year, and vehicle‑related thefts are one of the most common crimes deputies respond to.
- Identity theft: Considered high‑frequency and fast‑growing, with Orange County following the broader trend seen in the Anaheim/L.A. metro region, one of the top hotspots nationally.
- Fraudulent withdrawals: Part of the county’s rapidly increasing financial‑crimes category; exact numbers aren’t broken out, but law enforcement identifies it as an expanding problem.