On Thursday, a watchful community member took a stand against potential criminal activity in their local shopping center. This individual noticed a suspicious vehicle with blacked-out license plates, seemingly casing the area, and promptly reported it to the FCPD. According to the FCPD's statement on Facebook, the vehicle had been previously spotted committing similar actions in a neighboring jurisdiction earlier in the day.
The FCPD conducted an area check, ultimately locating the vehicle doing the same in the Costco parking lot. The suspects' stated goal was to sell fake jewelry to unsuspecting individuals in the parking lots. A notorious woman among their company had numerous warrants for her arrest out of Canada for theft and a specific history of running bait and switch jewelry scams.
Upon further investigation, the subjects were arrested for multiple violations, including prowling and conspiracy to commit a crime.
One cannot help but wonder how many people have fallen victim to these criminals' schemes before being brought to justice. According to a similar report in FCPD's Facebook post, the suspects appear to have a history of targeting various locations and preying on unsuspecting shoppers in search of a good deal.
