By Khalida Sarwari
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 21-year-old Antioch man Wednesday who allegedly attempted to cash a stolen check worth nearly $3,000 at a Bank of America in Saratoga.
At about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a suspect attempting to cash a forged check at the bank, located at 14476 Big Basin Way.
A bank employee told deputies the suspect walked into the bank and presented a personal check belonging to another person in the amount of $2,934.06, according to the sheriff’s office. The suspect requested the employee to deposit $200 and give him the remaining balance in cash, the sheriff’s office said.
The employee became wary upon discovering the man had opened a bank account earlier in the day at a Bank of America branch in Richmond and that the account of the personal check had a “fraudulent alert” warning.
The bank manager called the sheriff’s office, prompting the suspect to run out of the bank, leaving behind his driver’s license and the forged check, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies searched the area and found the suspect nearby in a vehicle. They identified him as Ignatius Taylor. Taylor was arrested for burglary, possession of a stolen check, possession of a forged check and parole violation, the sheriff’s office said.
Taylor is in custody with no bail at Santa Clara County main jail.
During their follow-up investigation, deputies contacted the victim, a man from Dublin, who said his checks were stolen from his mailbox.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Sgt. Rich Urena at (408) 868-6629 or anonymously by calling the sheriff’s tip line at (408) 808-4431.