FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Woman, 19, Sought in Check Theft Scam

Investigators were searching Thursday for a 19-year-old woman suspected of forging seven checks stolen from mailboxes.

Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Jolie Marcie Romero on charges of forgery and possession of stolen checks with intent of fraud in connection with a string of mail thefts in the last few weeks, Police Sgt. Dann Bean said.

Bean said Romero, a former Huntington Beach resident, might be part of a crime ring targeting residential mailboxes in Fountain Valley.

Thieves took bill payments left in the mailboxes and, through a special process, typically removed the handwritten ink from the checks, Bean said. A higher amount would be filled in and cashed, or the checks were used to purchase items from stores that didn’t ask for identification, he said.

In other cases, he said, thieves have concocted false identifications using personal information taken from the mailboxes.

Investigators described Romero as white, 5 feet, 3 inches tall, weighing 125 pounds, with blue eyes. Her hair has been described as blond or red because she often changes the color, Bean said.

Romero also has several tattoos, including the words “Fallen Angel” on her stomach, police said.