Local Couple Helps Police Nab Alleged Disneyland Ticket Scammer
GLENDALE (CBSLA.com) — A local couple helped police capture a 22-year-old woman accused of selling fake Disneyland tickets on Craigslist.
Jesus Vaca and his girlfriend, Yadira Tanory, said they paid suspect Alisa Yenokyan $500 for 10 tickets to the Anaheim theme park.
"The tickets looked like printed out tickets. They looked legit when you look at them. But then when you start looking at the barcodes, every single barcode had the same exact number," said Tanory.
The couple tried to call Yenokyan about the admission issue, but the suspect never answered her phone.
Vaca and Tanory came up with a plan to have a friend buy tickets from Yenokyan and then record the exchange.
The duo immediately took the video and the bogus tickets to the Glendale Police Department.
Tanory said, "The good thing is we had all the evidence…we had all the recordings. Even though it was our own sting operation."
"We did what we could. I wanted my money. It's a lot of money… $500," said Vaca.
Members of the police department's Financial Crimes Unit also found Yenokyan on Craigslist and posed as Disneyland ticket buyers.
"She was in possession of more fake Disneyland tickets, she was currently still on Craigslist, she was using the same phone number, but different city this time…now the Hollywood area. Still selling the tickets for $50," said Sgt. Tom Lorenz.
In addition, detectives found hundreds of text messages between the suspect and alleged victims dating back two years.
"(Yenokyan) kept a ledger sheet type thing on all her transactions and who she was selling to," said Lorenz.
Yenokyan was arrested and charged with grand theft and forgery. She pleaded not guilty.
The suspect is being held in lieu of $40,000 bail.
