Published: September 16, 2009
Police Identify and Seek Sticky Note Bandit
Kathleen Vinson, 31, of Cameron Park has been making the rounds. Investigators from Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento, Placer, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Alameda, Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Yolo counties in California and Washoe County, Nevada, say Vinson has been targeting retail stores, hotels, video stores, grocery stores, and pretty much anywhere else you can return an item without a receipt.
Vinson enters a business empty handed. As she enters the store, she quietly places a note at the unattended manager's desk or at the register advising the cashier they should "assist Mrs. Kidwell. She is a very nice lady and a great customer". The note generally continues that the cashier should immediately return the items for a full cash refund, without a receipt. "Mrs. Kidwell", aka Vinson, gets cash back for her stolen and returned items per the fake manager's request.
"She has been prolific. Mrs. Vinson has hit countless victims in several counties. The more agencies we call, the more crimes matching her operating methods we discover. Mrs. Vinson has been arrested by law enforcement a couple of times, but has eluded officers by presenting false identification more than once" said Detective Aaron Zelaya, an investigator with the Folsom Police Department's Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Vinson has four outstanding felony warrants for her arrest totaling $135,000. Detective Zelaya said Vinson may be in the company of Marciano Feliciano, 30, of Sacramento.
Vinson was last seen in the Reno, Nevada area driving a red or maroon 2009 Cadillac CTS, California license 6HOC765. Detective Zelaya said the vehicle was rented by Vinson using fraudulent information at an Avis Rental Car in San Francisco airport. If you have seen Vinson, her vehicle, or have information regarding additional crimes perpetrated by Vinson, you are encouraged to call Detective Zelaya at (916) 355-7241 or WETIP at 1(800) 78-CRIME (27463) or
www.WeTip.com.
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