Salinas Police: Woman arrested on identity theft charges after allegedly buying car, totaling it

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Salinas police said a woman was arrested on suspicion of identity theft at a car dealership.

Police said the victim, a Tennessee resident, got a letter saying she had bought a car at Cardinale Mazda in Salinas, so she contacted the dealership. They discovered that somebody had used her information to buy a Volkswagen Passat and cosign for a BMW 3 Series.

Later, the suspect apparently totaled the Volkswagen and tried to buy a Toyota Camry using the victim's information. When she tried to buy it, the dealership contacted the suspect to say there was an issue with the loan. She went back to the dealership and staff contacted police about fraudulent transactions.

The suspect was arrested and booked into the Monterey County Jail on vehicle theft, burglary and other identity theft-related charges. The Camry was returned to the dealership.