Man accused of using stolen credit card at gas station

A 29-year-old Maricopa man was charged by police with fraudulent use of a credit card and possession of drug paraphernalia on March 27.

Maricopa Police responded to the Chevron gas station about a theft. A man told police his wallet was stolen on March 26 about 3:30 p.m. when he was at a car parts store.

He told officers he did not cancel his credit cards, and when he awoke on March 27 he saw two fraudulent charges on his card. Both charges, for $7.69 and $4.57, were at the Chevron shortly after midnight.

The manager of the station provided police with video surveillance footage showing a man using the card. The subject was later identified as Benjamin Cantu.

Police state in their report, “Benjamin (Cantu) can be seen in the video purchasing a bag of chips and a drink in the amount of $4.57 at 0016 hours, then returning a second time and purchasing two more drinks and a bag of chips in the amount of $7.69 at 0019 hours.”

While an officer was at Chevron investigating the crime, Cantu rode in front of the gas station on a bicycle.

“I immediately exited the store and yelled, ‘Benjamin’ loudly. Benjamin stopped his bicycle and turned around, and I told him to come talk to me. Benjamin immediately rode over to me,” the officer wrote in their report.

The officer noted Cantu was wearing the same clothes as the suspect in the video. Cantu acknowledge making the purchases at the store but said the bank card he used to pay for the items was given to him by a friend.

The officer arrested him and, during a search, the officer allegedly found a glass smoking pipe in his pocket. The pipe had a black residue in it.