'Crime Tourists' Caught Red-Handed Stealing $10K From Victim Pumping Gas: DOJ

LOS ANGELES, CA — Four "crime tourists" are facing federal charges stemming from accusations they stole $10,000 from a person who had just withdrawn the cash from an ATM in Los Feliz, according to the U.S. Attorney' Office.

Authorities claim the group — one man and three women — were caught red-handed committing the April 16 theft, as they were being surveilled in connection to a similar theft of a Rolex in Orange County earlier this year, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Patch.

In this case, authorities say one of the women was inside a Vermont Avenue Bank of America scouting for victims. There, she let a person cut in front of her in the ATM line and that person withdrew $10,000, ATF Special Agent Wyatt Haccou wrote in court documents.

After that, the woman and her group followed the victim via car from the ATM to a 76 gas station at Melrose and Vermont avenues. While the victim was at the gas pump, the group found the $10,000 inside the vehicle's center console and took off with it, according to prosecutors.

ATF agents watched the theft unfold and followed the group in their vehicle to a residence near Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue, where they arrested the four suspects, prosecutors said.

Several of the suspects said they commit these types of crimes in order to send money back to their families, according to prosecutors.

All four were charged with conspiracy to transport, transmit or transfer at least $5,000 of stolen money in interstate or foreign commerce: Javier Jesús Cordoza Araújo, 41, of Venezuela; Ingrid Carolina Medina, 40, of Colombia; Gladys Gruz Navarro, 62, of Venezuela; and Guadalupe Delcristo Martínez, 46, of Mexico.

The ATF was surveilling the group as part of the investigation into the theft of a $100,000 Rolex from a vehicle in Orange County. Authorities suspect the watch was stolen by one of the group members from a victim's vehicle after the victim had been shopping at a jewelry store, according to court documents.