Eureka Police arrested a 48-year-old Elsberry man who allegedly helped a woman buy items at the O’Reilly Auto Parts store, 1321 W. Fifth St., by using a fraudulent check. The man was arrested the day after the woman bought items with a fake check, police reported.
Officers went to the store at about 11:30 a.m. Feb. 2 when the man came in to pick up items that were on hold from the day before. He allegedly tried to buy the items with gift cards that a woman had bought the day before using a fraudulent check, the report said.
The man had been at the store on Feb. 1 with a 35-year-old Union woman, who used a check to buy $2,381.36 worth of items and gift cards, according to the report.
An employee determined the check used on Feb. 1 was fake. It also was discovered the woman had a prior history of making fraudulent purchases and had been trespassed from other O’Reilly Auto Parts location, the report said.
The man was taken to the Police Station, where he was booked and then transported to the Pacific Police who wanted him on an active warrant. The man also was issued a summons to appear in Eureka Municipal Court for use of a fraudulent check, Lt. Brett Grittini said.
As of Feb. 6, the woman had not been contacted and is considered a person of interest in the fraud case, Grittini said.