Bank denied fraudulent check, but suspect didn’t leave empty-handed, police say

Ceres police detectives hope distinctive tattoos help lead to the identification and apprehension of a suspect in a recent car theft and fraud attempt at a local bank.

Tattoos “help us tremendously,” said Sgt. Greg Yotsuya, Ceres Police Department spokesman. “Nowadays, many of the artists are actually artists and the tattoos they create are one of a kind, very distinctive. And the placements on the neck and face make it much easier to identify suspects.”

On July 25, a woman entered the Bank of America at 2617 Mitchell Road and, using another woman’s identification, tried to cash a fraudulent check, police said. The attempt was denied, but the woman managed to steal another customer’s keys from the bank counter.

The suspect stole the vehicle from the bank parking lost, and it was found abandoned a short time later in Turlock. A credit card that had been left in the vehicle by the owner ended up being used at the Target store in Turlock and a gas station in Manteca.

The suspect pictured is blond and has a gap between her top front teeth. She was wearing a tank top and what appears to be a leopard print skirt. A tattoo across her chest is of a crown with wings. The tips of the wings are overlapped by stars.

The woman also has tattoos on both arms, as well as one on her neck that may be a rose and leaves.

Probably for as long as cops have been catching crooks, distinguishing marks including scars, tattoos and branding have played a vital role in identifying them.

Today, “there are a lot more tattoos, obviously,” said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves. “They’re still a huge part of identifying suspects, not only for victims or witnesses but for investigators.”

Graves could think of a few times when even anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers included tattoo descriptions that helped lead to arrests. And a sharp image from a surveillance photograph or video typically provides much more than a verbal description can, giving police strong evidence to match to a suspect.

Yotsuya said criminals help get themselves caught when they bear distinctive, clearly visible tattoos. “There’s a reason they’re criminals. They’re not the brightest, or they’d be productive members of society.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 8:58 AM with the headline "Bank denied fraudulent check, but suspect didn’t leave empty-handed, police say."