Two people were taken into custody on Wednesday at a Lathrop hotel after a probation check revealed that they may have been participating in organized identity theft.

Lucas Haas, 26, and Krista Bautista, 27, were arrested on a host of charges after Lathrop Police Services officers and the San Joaquin County Probation Department uncovered evidence of identity theft and stolen property in the room they were occupying. 

According to officers, the couple was found to be in possession of clothing that was purchased with a Macy’s card that was fraudulently obtained, and a whole host of other materials – including tax returns, checks from individuals and businesses they were not authorized to have, and stolen goods like aerial drones and cameras – were also discovered in the room. 

Bautista was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on charges of possession of stolen property and burglary and is being held on $410,000 bail for the new and outstanding charges while Hess was taken into custody on a flash incarceration for a parole violation and is facing additional charges of possession of stolen property. With outstanding cases already pending against him, Hess is being held without bail. 

With tax returns now starting to arrive in mail boxes, authorities encourage residents to use tracking services provided by the United States Postal Service to know when sensitive documents are going to be arriving in their mailbox, and to make sure to check mailboxes frequently so that checks and mail that could potentially be abused don’t end up in the hands of the wrong people. 

“It’s important to protect your mail, check it regularly, and frequently check accounts and credit reports to see if they have been compromised,” acting Lathrop Police Chief Ryan Biederman said. 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.