Burglary suspect caught cashing stolen checks

Boot prints found at the scene of a burglary at Red Truck Rock Company in Corning led police to the arrest of Charles Pineda Ballesteros, 31, of Los Molinos, on Sunday, as he was reportedly trying to cash a stolen check at the Liquor Cabinet 2 on Highway 99W.

Corning police responded to a call of a break-in at Red Truck at 2:24 p.m., where police reported a checkbook, two cameras, two social security cards and a hat had been stolen.

Police said they located boot prints indicating one person entered the business through a rear sliding glass door, sometime between 5:15-7 p.m. on Saturday.

Also during the investigation, police learned two checks from the stolen checkbook, totaling $300 each, had been cashed at the Liquor Cabinet stores in Corning.

Police said Ballesteros was arrested as he attempted to pass a third stolen check for $128 at Liquor Cabinet 2. He had the cash in his possession.

Police said they matched his boot prints to those found inside Red Truck, as well as matched his handwriting to the two stolen checks that had been cashed.

Officers report that during a search of Ballesteros' residence, they recovered one of the stolen cameras and the hat, with remainder of the stolen property and $472 in cash still unaccounted for, police said.

Ballesteros was booked into the Tehama County Jail on suspicion of second-degree burglary, receiving stolen property, forgery and attempted second-degree burglary. Bail was set at $120,000.