Prolific ID Theft Suspect Arrested After Vehicle Theft

On May 20, 2024, a Santa Rosa Police Department Community Services Officer was dispatched to a U-Haul distributor located in the 1000-block of Hopper Avenue to investigate the report of an embezzled vehicle.  A woman had rented the vehicle for 3-hours and failed to return it as agreed.  After several days of trying to contact the renter, the business reported the vehicle stolen with SRPD.  The Property Crimes Investigations (PCI) Team began investigating the theft and determined the lease was made using a fraudulent identification card with the suspect’s photo.  Details from the fraudulent ID card belonged to an identity theft victim.

On May 21, 2024, at approximately 5:30 pm, detectives located the stolen vehicle near Guerneville Road and Cleveland Avenue.  They coordinated a traffic enforcement stop on the vehicle with assistance from a uniformed patrol officer.  Investigators determined the driver was uninvolved in the original theft, however obtained additional evidence in the search for the primary female suspect.  The stolen vehicle was recovered and returned to the U-Haul distributor.
Detectives identified the outstanding female suspect as 40-year-old Santa Rosa resident Melissa Gutierrez.  Gutierrez was identified through surveillance footage as the suspect who utilized the fake ID and stolen credit card for the original rental.  On June 5, 2024, at approximately 10:15 am, PCI detectives completed a search warrant service at Gutierrez’s residence within the 2000-block of Pioneer Way.  During the warrant service, detectives contacted Gutierrez and 51-year-old Santa Rosa resident Marc Boyce.  Inside the residence detectives located extensive evidence of check fraud, forgery, and identity theft including personal identifying information (PII) for more than 100 victims. 

After reviewing some of the seized items, receipts, and paperwork, detectives confirmed Gutierrez and Boyce had conspired together to commit check fraud approximately 5 hours before the search warrant service.  That act was carried out using a forged check belonging to an identity theft victim. 

At the time of the search warrant service, Gutierrez had several pending fraud and theft cases awaiting adjudication in Sonoma County Superior Court.  In one such case, Gutierrez was arrested in November 2023 after facilitating an act of check fraud and being in possession of personal identifying Information of more than 20 victims (SRPD case number 23-14633).  Gutierrez was still in possession of many of those same victims’ PII during her arrest on June 5, 2024.  Despite being on bail for this offense, she continued to use these same victims’ identities for additional fraud. 

Gutierrez was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on three separate cases with a bail enhancement of $150,000 authorized by a Sonoma County Superior Court Judge.  Her charges were the following;
SRPD case number 24-6804, Investigation of check fraud incident with Boyce
182(a)(1) PC       Conspiracy
470(d) PC             Forgery
530.5(a) PC         Identity Theft

SRPD case number 24-6805, ID theft and forgery Investigation uncovered during search warrant service
530.5(c)(2) PC    Identity Theft with Priors
530.5(c)(3) PC    Identity Theft with 10+ Victims
470b PC              Possession of a Forged Drivers License
475(a) PC            Possession of a Forged Check
475(b) PC            Possession of Blank Checks in Order to Defraud
475(c) PC            Possession of Completed Check with Intent to Defraud
11377(a) HS       Possession of a Controlled Substance

SRPD case number 24-6020, Investigation of stolen U-Haul vehicle
10851 VC            Vehicle Theft
470(d) PC            Forgery
470b PC               Possession of a Forged Drivers License
530.5(a) PC         Identity Theft
530.5(c)(2) PC     Identity Theft with Priors
529(a)(3) PC        False Impersonation
532(a) PC             Obtain Goods by False Pretenses
12022.1(b) PC     Commit Felony While on Bail

Boyce was booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility for the following charges;
SRPD case number 24-6804, Investigation of check fraud incident with Gutierrez
182(a)(1) PC       Conspiracy
470(d) PC            Forgery
530.5(a) PC         Identity Theft

Detectives will be contacting victims and confirming if their personal information was illegally possessed.  Additionally, detectives will be working to identify other acts of fraud, forgery, and identity theft crimes committed by the pair and any other co-conspirators.
Media inquiries may be directed to Sergeant Ryan Hepp at rhepp@srcity.org / 707-543-4024.