MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A Bay Area woman was arrested after she told deputies that her van with $60,000 worth of merchandise inside had been stolen at knifepoint in Madera County, only to find out that the entire incident had been staged as insurance fraud, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say 57-year-old Martha Gutierrez DeRomero, from Vallejo, had called 911 to report her van had been stolen at Avenue 21 and Road 26 in Madera County. She told responding deputies that she was driving her white Chevrolet van to a swap meet when two masked men approached her and took the van at knife point.
She reported that the van contained $60,000 worth of merchandise, including fitness clothing, waist trainers, and supplements. A description of the van was circulated, and deputies in neighboring Merced County located the van on Sandy Mush Road…