2 arrested after allegedly trying to sell stolen car they rented on Turo app

CORONA, Calif. - Two people were arrested in Corona last week after they allegedly tried to sell a car they rented on the Turo app. Both of the suspects have a history of similar crimes, police say, and officials are now searching for anyone else they may have scammed.

What we know:

Sebastian Flores and Lasso Floris, both from Arizona, were arrested in Corona on Feb. 26. Officials said they were able to track the pair down after a resident had reported being scammed out of thousands of dollars. 

The scam

It started with a Craigslist ad. The victim found the ad for a car on the website, and set up a meeting with the seller. When she showed up, the seller showed her what she thought was the title and registration, and she paid the man $23,000 for the car.

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But, when she tried to register her new car at the DMV, she found out that the documents were fake. The car the woman had bought, police said, had actually been rented on the app Turo.

How did police catch the suspects?

Credit: Corona PD via Instagram

After the woman called police, she and officers found another similar ad online. Officers set up another meeting.

Flores showed up to the meeting, and officers arrested him. Police said he showed up in another rented car he was trying to sell. When officers checked his record, they found Flores had an active warrant for auto theft.

Floris also showed up to that meeting, officers said. When detectives stopped him, they found he also had a warrant out for trafficking stolen cars. 

Why you should care:

Police said both Flores and Floris have "extensive" criminal histories, which leads officers to think there may be other victims out there. Anyone who thinks they may have fallen for this scam should call their local police department.

What you can do:

Officers also recommended verifying any documents before buying any car.