MERIDIAN — Police arrested three out-of-state men after investigators say they attempted to steal credit card information from a Meridian Jacksons store where several so-called skimmer devices had previously been found.
Officers made the arrests at about 3 p.m. Friday after a clerk at the store on Goldstone Way reported that the men were tampering with the credit card readers at one of the gas pumps. The clerk gave police a description of the men and their van.
Soon after, police found and arrested Yatsel Aleman-Santana and Adrian Acosta-Alonso, both 29, and from Miami, Florida. Also arrested was Carlos Pineda-Vera, 22, of Portland, Texas.
Police say their search the rental van revealed equipment used to retrieve credit card numbers from the pump and a crowbar that was used to open the electrical panels at the pumps.
There were also multiple credit cards in each of the men's names that were hidden throughout the van. Investigators believe that those cards have stolen credit card numbers on them.
All three men were booked into the Ada County Jail and charged with grand theft.
Police are investigating whether the men are responsible for the theft of credit card information from the same store last month.
As we reported on November 13, police uncovered and removed at least three skimmer devices used to steal people's credit card information. Thousands of dollars was stolen before the devices were discovered.
