8 arrested in fraud investigations spanning 6 months in Kyle
KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — Eight people were arrested as a part of fraud investigations over the past six months, Kyle police said Wednesday.
Several were arrested in cases involving stolen checks, social security numbers, fake license plates and more.
July 31, 2021
On July 31, Kyle police responded to the Kyle H-E-B on a report of dogs that were left unattended in a vehicle. When officers arrived, they noticed a fake temporary license plate on the vehicle and soon found the vehicle itself was stolen out of Austin.
John Cucheran, 36, and Brandon Pangilinan, 29, were taken into custody and found with nearly 60 pieces of "identifying information" and 51 stolen or altered checks.
The pair also had multiple ledgers of people's names and social security numbers, Kyle police said.
Both Pangilinan and Cucheran were charged with fraudulent use/possession of identifying information.
Sept. 11, 2021
On Sept. 11, Kyle police said an officer on patrol noticed a vehicle in the parking lot of a gas station off I-35 in Kyle displaying a stolen license plate. Samuel Toth, 28, and Jennifer Serna, 28, were arrested.
Police said more than 50 pieces of stolen mail, 70 pieces of identifying information, 18 stolen credit/debit cards and 40 altered or fictitious government documents were found. Another stolen vehicle was found during the follow-up investigation, police said.
Toth and Serna were charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debit card information, theft of mail and tampering with government records.
Oct. 22, 2021
On Oct. 22, Kyle police arrested Heather Bean, 38, after a report of a suspicious car at the Storage King off I-35 in Kyle. Bean was identified and charged as a suspect in relation to a theft that happened at the storage units, according to police.
Kyle police said Bean had been driving a car she had fraudulently obtained from a dealership by using a stolen ID. A search found four stolen credit cards, 56 pieces of identifying information, and more than 100 pieces of stolen mail.
Bean was charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, theft of mail, burglary of a building, possession of a false ID, fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debit card information, theft of property and unauthorized use of vehicle. An accomplice, Mitchell Cantrell, 32, was also arrested and charged with narcotics possession.
Dec. 2, 2021
On Dec. 2, Kyle police officers were called to the Strand Apartments on "suspicious circumstances." Police said Victoria Nino, 30, was trying to evade officers but was arrested. Kyle police said the vehicle had been stolen out of Austin, and a search of the car found three stolen credit cards and more than 30 pieces of stolen mail.
Nino was charged with burglary of a vehicle, forgery, theft of mail, evading arrest, driving while intoxicated, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and for warrants from other agencies.
Dec. 28, 2021
On Dec. 28, Kyle police arrested Melissa Moncada, 31, after a traffic stop for speeding. Police said a search of Moncada's car found more than 250 pieces of stolen mail, 61 stolen checks, 16 credit and debit cards and more than 50 pieces of identifying information.
Moncada was charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, theft of mail and 16 counts of credit/debit card abuse.
Police said Moncada was previously arrested by Kyle police for similar charges.
“I would like to take the time to recognize these officers for their diligent work,” Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said in a press release. “Catching these perpetrators is often time consuming and difficult work, but it is important, because the victims of these crimes are often numerous and have to deal with the impacts for years down the line. We hope this can help start to set things right for those affected.”