2 Suspects Sought In Bank Withdrawal Scam In Costa Mesa, Santa Ana
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) – Police in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa are searching for two men who are suspected of conning elderly victims into withdrawing cash from their banks.
In two separate incidents in April, victims were approached on the street and convinced to take a drive to their bank to withdraw cash that was eventually taken by the suspects, Costa Mesa police said in a news release Tuesday.
The first incident occurred at around 1:20 p.m. April 11 in Santa Ana. The second happened at about 10:30 a.m. on April 28 in Costa Mesa.
The first victim was 84-year-old Manuel Herrera of Santa Ana, a retired cook. He said the suspect told him he would be paying his share of an investment. The suspects drove him to his bank on Main Street and walked him inside, where he made a withdrawal of $2,000 from his account. The suspects took the cash and fled.
In the second incident, the suspects approached a 68-year-old Costa Mesa man as he was walking home, started a conversation with him and eventually convinced him to get into their car. They drove him to a bank on Harbor Boulevard, where he also made a withdrawal of $2,500.
After taking his money, the thieves even dropped him off where they had initially confronted him, police said.
Both suspects are described as Latino men in their 50s. One is around 5-foot-6 and weighs about 150 to 160 pounds, with brown eyes and gray hair, and missing some teeth.
The other suspect is 6-foot to 6-foot-2 and weighs about 160 to 170 pounds. He has gray hair, brown eyes and broken teeth.
The pair get around in a late model, gold American-brand sedan, possibly a Ford Taurus, police said. They are known to loiter around banks and bus stops near banks, police said.
Anyone with information about the identities or whereabouts of the men in the April crimes, or who may have been victimized, was asked to call Costa Mesa police Detective George Maridakis at 714-754-5051 or Santa Ana Cpl. A. Silva at 714-245-8545.
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