Canoga Park Couple Jailed in Credit Card Theft Case

VENTURA — A Canoga Park couple were in Ventura County Jail on Thursday on suspicion of using stolen credit cards to purchase more than $60,000 worth of goods over several months from Ventura County Kmart stores.

Sito and Dawn Valenzuela were arrested Wednesday by Ventura County sheriff’s deputies after a monthlong investigation, a department spokesman said.

Investigators were alerted to the possible fraud after a security officer at the Moorpark Kmart noticed a pattern in the use of stolen cards. The Moorpark store lost about $4,000 worth of merchandise due to the fraud, the spokesman said.

Investigators believe the couple are responsible for more than $60,000 of fraudulent purchases from Kmart stores in the county, buying goods including electronics, food and supplies, officials said.