Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies say a theft from an unlocked vehicle in Ojai earlier this month led detectives to uncover a wider identity-theft scheme involving suspects operating across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Deputies from the Ojai Police Station responded to the 1900 block of Tiara Drive on Nov. 11 after a resident reported that her purse, containing credit cards and a key fob, had been taken from her unlocked vehicle parked in her driveway. Soon after the theft, the victim learned her credit cards had been used fraudulently at multiple locations in both counties.
Ojai detectives were able to identify two suspects: Justin Orth and Arianna Ceja. Officials determined there was probable cause to arrest both on suspicion of felony unauthorized use of personal identifying information, felony identity theft, misdemeanor petty theft, and felony conspiracy to commit a crime…