Man arrested for allegedly trying to sell stolen U-Haul vehicle on Craigslist

CAMARILLO, Calif. - Camarillo police and detectives arrested a man around 12:10 p.m. on Saturday for attempting to sell a U-Haul vehicle to a Camarillo resident under false pretenses.

Police said the Camarillo resident contacted the Camarillo Police Department regarding a suspicious Craigslist post advertising a vehicle for sale.

The resident was prepared to meet the seller in order to buy the vehicle, but was worried it would be a scam.

Officers said that prior to the transaction the seller sent the resident a picture of the vehicle, the Certificate of Title and the license plate.

Patrol deputies from the police station met up with the resident to investigate the Craigslist ad. During that investigation, deputies determined that the license plate on the advertised vehicle did not match the vehicle identification number or the information on the Certificate of Title leading them to suspect the seller was attempting to sell a stolen vehicle.

Detectives from the Camarillo Special Enforcement Detail were contacted and joined in the investigation. They quickly located the vehicle and detained the suspect, later identified as 40-year-old Yakov Rozenoyer of Glendale, on the 90 block of Daily Drive in Camarillo.

The detectives' investigation determined that the vehicle belonged to U-Haul and had been rented out of Inglewood about a month beforehand.

They also confirmed that the U-Haul decals had been removed from the vehicle, the license plate was from another vehicle and that the Certificate of Title had been forged.

In addition, detectives said Rozenoyer, who had been driving the U-Haul vehicle earlier, gave a false name and date of birth when initially contacted by deputies.

It was during a search that deputies located Rozenoyer's driver's license and was able to identify him.

Rozenoyer was arrested and booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility for attempted theft by false pretenses, providing false information to a peace officer and vehicle registration fraud. Detectives are currently working with U-Haul representatives regarding the stolen vehicle investigation.

The Camarillo Police Department would like to remind the community to protect themselves from Craigslist and other internet related scams.

Police said, according to Craigslist crime statistics, the website is linked to hundreds of crimes per year.

The Camarillo Police Department says some simple tips to avoid Craigslist scams include:

• Only dealing with local sellers,
• Never wiring funds,
• Never giving out personal financial information,
• And always trusting your instincts.

Please contact the Camarillo Police Station if you ever suspect any possible internet scams.