Howe police arrested two Amarillo men early Thursday morning at the Valero gas station in Howe on a variety of charges related to recent credit card skimming incidents in Howe and Gunter. Thirty-year-old Yoel Hernandez-Frometa and twenty-four-year-old Yalian Chacon-Cabreja have been arrested and charged with Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, Fraudulent Use or Possession of Personal Identifying Information, and Breach of Computer Security.
Officer Brandon Ozuna was patrolling Howe in the early morning hours of March 16 when he heard police radio reports of two men in a red Mercedes tampering with gas pumps at a business in Gunter. Around 4:00 am, Officer Ozuna saw a red 2008 Mercedes on the parking lot of the Valero gas station in Howe with two men acting suspiciously around gas pumps where police had previously recovered skimming devices. Officer Ozuna met with the individuals and a subsequent consent search of their car resulted in the recovery of several credit cards and bank statements that didn’t belong to either of the men. Officers from Gunter and Van Alstyne responded and assisted Howe officers. Hernandez-Frometa and Chacon-Cabreja were taken into custody without incident. The 2008 Mercedes and nearly $1,000 in currency was seized for civil forfeiture proceedings.
Howe officers are working with other law enforcement agencies, including agencies in Arkansas and Oklahoma, where they believe Hernandez-Frometa and Chacon-Cabreja may have installed additional skimming devices. Howe officers recovered evidence, prior to theses arrests, that link Hernandez-Frometa and Chacon-Cabreja to the skimmers seized from the Valero gas pumps weeks before.
Despite the arrests, the Howe Police Department again warns citizens that identity theft and credit card fraud are ongoing problems. Citizens are reminded to protect themselves against theft by paying with cash when possible, visually inspecting gas pumps for tampering, and consistently monitoring their bank and credit card statements and reporting suspicious activity.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information concerning Hernandez-Frometa and Chacon-Cabreja is asked to contact Howe PD Detective Keith Milks at 903-532-9971.
