Behind the Badge
The Garden Grove travel agent would accept cash from customers for dream vacations, police say — only to leave them hanging high and dry when they showed up at the airport expecting to start their hard-earned trips.
On Wednesday, Aug. 10, the GGPD said suspect Abdel Luis Rojas, 50, of Westminster, may have ripped off at least 21 people who have come forward with claims they were left holding travel itineraries that were useless and non-refundable.
Capping an investigation over the last few months into Rojas’ travel business, which uses the names AGS Travel, A&S Travel, AES Travel and Visa Travel, the GGPD said in a news release that it served a search warrant Tuesday at Rojas’ business, at 8550 Garden Grove Blvd. #201, and found evidence of fraud.
Police allege Rojas kept money from his clients and did not deliver the travel packages or itineraries as promised.
In total, the victims have a collective loss of approximately $50,000, the GGPD said.
Rojas was arrested and booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of theft by fraud and multiple counts of grand theft.
His bail has been set at $100,000 and the case has been submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges.
Investigators at the Garden Grove Police Department are requesting any additional victims suffering a loss from Abdel Rojas or his travel agency to contact investigators. The information will be investigated and forwarded to the DA’s office for additional charges. Refer all information to Inv. Scott Coleman, 714-741-5815 or Inv. Thi Huynh 714-741-5835.
