2 Arrested in Alleged Rental Scheme
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GARDEN GROVE — Two men were arrested on suspicion of grand theft after they bilked victims out of a $100 fee for finding them phony rental properties, Garden Grove police said Saturday.
Adrian Alvarez, 20, of Montebello and Gildardo Amezcua, 29, of Rialto were arrested after 10 victims complained to police about the pair’s business practices at West Coast Bureau at 11578 Trask Ave., said Sgt. Pat Thrasher.
The pair allegedly placed advertisements in Spanish and English newspapers soliciting the addresses of properties for rent. But when clients attempted to inspect a property, it didn’t exist, was already rented or did not fit the description, Thrasher said.
The operators said they represented the owners of prospective rental property. But during the investigation, police discovered the owners had never heard of West Coast Bureau, he said.
The men were being held at Orange County Jail on $10,000 bail.
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