Man Caught Buying Applebee's Gift Cards With Fraudulent Credit Card

SONORA (CBS13) – A Twain Harte man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly tried to buy Applebee's gift cards with a fraudulent credit card.

Sonora Police say that 21-year-old Mark Hyder walked into the city's Applebee's just before 7 p.m. and tried to buy some gift cards. However, Hyder's card was declined.

It was at this point that employees at the restaurant noticed Hyder matched the description of a man who had been buying gift cards with fraudulent credit cards over the past few months.  A manager then called police, but Hyder took off running when an officer showed up at the scene.

A second officer later found Hyder hiding in the blackberry bushes near the Lowe's parking lot.

Hyder was first taken to the hospital because police say he complained of twisting his ankle and hitting his head during a fall while running from police. The blackberry bushes also left Hyder with several cuts.

After being treated at the Sonora Regional Medical Center, Hyder was arrested and booked at Tuolumne County Jail on felony charges of burglary, theft of goods with a counterfeit card and forgery of an access card. He also faces a violation of his probation.

Police note that Hyder was arrested back in June for allegedly using a counterfeit credit card to rent a room in Sonora.

In total, police estimate that Hyder was able to buy $500 in gift cars from Applebee's with the fraudulent credit cards.