Sedona AZ (January 11, 2017) – In November of 2016, after a tip-off to a trailhead burglary suspect’s identity, a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office detective began following case leads and obtained information from an electronics store about a cell phone purchased using the victim’s stolen credit card. He traced the cell phone serial number to a Prescott Valley man, Robert Abbott, 26, who was listed as the account holder. Detectives had also received a Silent Witness tip alleging Abbott had participated in the trailhead burglary and cell phone purchase. The Silent Witness tip also provided names for two female suspects involved in the trailhead burglary.

The YCSO detective matched Abbott’s name to a criminal history record, and discovered a report by Partner’s Against Narcotics Trafficking (PANT) detectives that documented a September 14, 2016, drug possession arrest for Abbott. During the arrest, PANT detectives had seized Abbott’s cell phone which enabled the YCSO detective to confirm it was the same phone purchased with the victim’s stolen credit card. A review of Abbott’s text messages from the cell phone underscored his involvement in the Prescott area credit card fraud, and his contact with additional suspects.

As follow-up continued, the YCSO detective discovered Abbott had been recently booked into a Maricopa County Detention center on local burglary and fraud charges and was still in custody. Abbott was eventually interviewed, and admitted to using the Prescott (AZ) victim’s stolen credit card on the day of the trailhead burglary. Detectives will be filing charges against Abbott for credit card fraud and identity theft, pending adjudication of his cases in Maricopa County.

In the meantime, detectives have preliminary identified two female suspects believed to have participated in the burglary and credit card fraud: PANT detectives are seeking Tiffany Cleary, 31, from Buckeye and Jenna Roscoe, 29, from Phoenix. In the above surveillance photos, Cleary has brunette hair and Roscoe is blond.

Both Cleary and Roscoe are encouraged to call Detective Mark Yates at 928-777-7273 regarding this case: Recent attempts to locate the women have been unsuccessful and anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call Detective Yates or Yavapai Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232.

The public will recall that on August 29, 2016, at approximately 9:45 in the morning, YCSO deputies were dispatched to the White Spar Campground area north of Prescott regarding a vehicle burglary. A 66-year-old Prescott resident told deputies she was hiking with friends and after returning to her vehicle found the driver’s window smashed and her purse missing. The purse contained numerous credit cards, personal identification, and cash. Shortly thereafter the victim discovered purchases and attempted purchases made throughout the Prescott area with her stolen credit cards; the suspects went to stores and restaurants including McDonalds, Ross, Circle K, Sears, Fry’s, Dillard’s, Carl’s Jr., and TJ Max. Based on a timeline developed from photos and transaction documents, the suspects had used the stolen cards immediately following the burglary, typical of thieves who intend to make as many purchases as possible before the victim realizes the cards are stolen and closes accounts.

Deputies obtained security photos from several locations and identified three suspects, including two females and a male. In some instances, the suspects had a white dog with them. Additional photos also connect the suspects to a newer Jeep vehicle, possible a Patriot model, black in color.

In the few months since the trailhead burglary, due to the public and local law enforcement cooperation, an arrest has been made and two suspects are being sought for questioning.

Remember, anyone with information about the two female suspects may call YCSO Detective Yates at 928-771-3260 and refer to case 16-031044: Anonymous calls to Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232 are also encouraged and could result in a cash reward if the tip leads to an arrest. Rewards are only given to those who directly contact Silent Witness with information.

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