Hollister Police Identify Stolen Wallet Suspect
HOLLISTER — The Hollister Police Department has identified the suspect in a 4th of July stolen wallet case. They tagged 34-year-old Hollister resident Leonard Espinoza as the person of interest in the case.
Leonard Ezpinoza
On Thursday, July 4th at 7 p.m., a young woman told police that she went to the Starbucks counter inside the Safeway on Tres Pinos road and ordered a drink, paid for it and then left the store.
When she realized that she left her wallet inside the store she returned only to find that the wallet was missing. The victim confirmed that the wallet contained her school identification card from Wake Forest, South Carolina and about $100 in cash.
When officers from the Hollister Police Department arrived at the store to take a report, they checked the surveillance footage from a camera located near the Starbucks counter and observed a Hispanic male in line behind her.
They observed the man push the wallet into a baseball cap that he was holding, then leave without ordering anything. Hollister Police released his picture to the public, hoping that someone would recognize him.
Between the fourth and the ninth of July several people came forward and identified the suspect as Espinoza, who was alerted of his picture being released, and turned the wallet in to police.
The victim confirmed that her money was also returned, but her ID was missing.
“We did not take Mr. Espinoza into custody because he was cooperative in the situation and returned the wallet,” Hollister Police captain Carlos Reynoso said, “We submitted the report to the District Attorney’s Office, it is up to her office to file the charges of theft or misappropriation of lost property against him.”
The Hollister Police department would like to thank the community for coming forward and assisting in identifying Espinoza.
Read more:
Hollister Police Department press release (via Nixle)
