In a recent string of events that unfolded outside a Best Buy in Colma, California, local police apprehended two suspects involved in identity theft and mail fraud activities. According to a social media post from the Colma Police Department, a citizen alerted officers about a suspicious individual last Thursday, at roughly 8:06 PM. The individual, later identified as a 50-year-old San Francisco resident, Anthony Banchero, was inside a black van when police came into contact with him.
Visibility not being an issue, the officers were able to spot drug paraphernalia within the van, prompting further investigation. A dispatcher's record check revealed that Banchero was wanted on a $10,000 misdemeanor warrant, leading to his subsequent arrest. Searches that followed disclosed multiple ID cards, none belonging to Banchero, hinting at a larger scheme at play.
Banchero's female companion, 36-year-old Olivia Holmquist, also from San Francisco, became ensnared in the law's net upon returning to the vehicle. Holmquist, who possessed a purse stuffed with miscellaneous credit cards and a lock-picking kit, also had three outstanding misdemeanor warrants against her. A deeper probe into her wallet shook loose a report from one of the credit card owners, confirming their card had been stolen from a recently burglarized mailbox.
The couple did not attempt to hide evidence of their alleged crimes quite carefully enough. The van became a treasure trove of illicit goods as officers "located notebooks and paperwork containing personal identifiable information, including social security numbers, of more than two dozen different people," part of the cache of items discovered, according to the Colma Police Department's post. Controlled substances attributed to Banchero compounded their legal troubles.
As a result of the findings, Banchero faces charges of theft with priors, the misappropriation of lost property, intent to defraud, possession of personal identification, possession of a controlled substance, and the earlier-mentioned warrant. In tandem, Holmquist was arrested for possession of known stolen property, having burglary tools, and her preexisting warrants. Both were booked into San Mateo County Jail.
