Trio Wanted In ATM Distraction Thefts In Union County

CLARK, NJ — Three men are wanted in connection with an ATM distraction theft at Bank of America in Clark.

On Oct. 11 and Oct. 28, the Clark Police took two reports from victims who reported that their debit cards were physically taken from their hands at the Bank of America on Raritan Road.

"The perpetrators of these schemes will commonly approach their victim in pairs or groups. One of the perpetrators will watch the victim enter their PIN into the ATM. After the victim makes their transaction, another perpetrator will approach the victim and attempt to confuse them. At this point, another one of the perpetrators will physically take the debit card from the victim. The perpetrators then use the ATM card to withdraw money from the victim's accounts," said Clark Police.

Detective Bruce McDonald investigated and identified three suspects, Patrick J. Mendozarios, 30, of Newark, Rogelio Cerdavera, 39, of Newburg, NY, and Yoshua Villasuerte, 21, of Newark.

Villasuerte and Cerdavera were involved in both of the incidents while Mendozarios was only involved in one incident, said police.

The three were charged cumulatively with five counts of conspiracy to commit theft, 10 counts of theft by unlawful taking, and two counts of theft by deception, all are third-degree crimes.

The trio are still at large.

"Residents are reminded to be vigilant when using the ATM and checking out at stores. These distraction-type schemes are common occurrences," said police. "The actors who perpetrate these crimes work in groups and tend to travel from area to area."

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