Burbank Police Seek 'Burberry Bandit' Suspected In Theft Of $40,000 In Goods And Cash

BURBANK (CBSLA.com) — Burbank police are on the trail of a woman they're calling the "Burberry Bandit."

Police say she used identity theft to open fraudulent lines of credit, then made off with over $12,000 worth of merchandise and $30,000 in cash.

The goods included two Burberry handbags and wallets, along with Apple electronics.

The woman used fraudulent credit lines to purchase items at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, the La Cañada Sport Chalet, and Bloomingdale's stores in Beverly Hills and Costa Mesa during a five-day shopping spree.

She's described as a white female, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10, with short, dark hair.

High-end merchandise isn't all she's taken, police said.

The woman stole the identity of a Burbank resident and public school teacher, according to police, using the victim's birth date, Social Security number and driver's license number.

After that, she impersonated the victim at a Chase Bank branch and cashed several counterfeit checks.

She also made ATM withdrawals totaling over $30,000.

"Finally, the bank realized there was an issue," said Burbank Police Sergeant Claudio Losacco. "A fraud alert was made.  She tried to make one more transaction and was stopped."

Burbank police are asking anyone with information in this case to contact detective Sgt. Mark Stohl at (818) 238-3272.