Adelanto man used fake bar codes to steal more than $15K in Hot Wheels, sports cards, police say
Deputies arrested a man accused of stealing more than $15,000 in merchandise from local stores. (Credit: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department)
APPLE VALLEY, Calif. - San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies arrested a man this week, accusing him of stealing more than $15,000 of merchandise from retail stores in the area using an elaborate checkout scheme.
Juan Pablo Leal was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of being in possession of stolen property.
Deputies said they were first made aware of Leal on July 30. Employees at the Target on Bear Valley Road in Apple Valley called to report him, saying they believed he'd stolen from Target stores across the county.
Leal had already left by the time deputies got there, but they investigated. Eventually, deputies got a search warrant for Leal's Adelanto home. When they served the warrant, deputies found more than $15,000 in stolen goods. The SBCSD shared a photo of the merchandise on Wednesday, showing a table packed with Hot Wheels cars, sports card boxes and more.
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Deputies said Leal used an advanced ploy to steal the items — he would allegedly cover the barcodes with fake ones during checkout, making it seem like he was legitimately buying the items, when in fact they were being rung up for a significantly discounted price.
Leal was booked and later released on bail. He's scheduled to appear in court at a later date. Deputies are still investigating the thefts. Deputies are still investigating, and asked anyone with information about the crime to contact the Apple Valley Sheriff's Station.