SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Two men believed to be part of an international theft ring have been arrested for allegedly stealing credit cards from elderly shoppers around the Valley and using them to buy thousands of dollars worth of electronics.
Luis Brandeley Jimenez-Mojica, 37, and Daniel Felipe Ortega-Penuela, 26, were arrested by Scottsdale police earlier this week on two dozen felony theft-related charges. Both are believed to be associated with a South American Theft Group (SATG), which are criminal organizations that travel to countries including the U.S. to commit burglaries and other crimes.
Jimenez-Mojica and Ortega-Penuela are accused of stealing wallets from distracted shoppers to make fraudulent purchases. Police say the two men are tied to at least five cases in Scottsdale alone, with fraudulent charges up to $10,000.
The investigation began on May 7 when officers were called to an Albertsons grocery store on Via Linda at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard. An 84-year-old woman discovered that her wallet had been stolen when she attempted to pay for her groceries, and then began receiving alerts about two fraudulent charges on her Visa credit card at a nearby Costco store…