The Hermosa Beach Police Department has released the police report related to the attempted extortion this month of City Treasurer David Cohn.
Gustavo Ceron, 29, and Yuritsi Maria Garcia, 26, have been charged with attempted extortion and theft. They allegedly stole Cohn’s iPad Nov. 3 following a massage in Cohn’s home that was cut short.
Cohn told police he visited Garcia at her home in Maywood on Oct. 26. She identified herself as “Diane.” A few days later on Nov. 3, Cohn invited Garcia, whom he knew as “Diane,” to his Sixth Street home for a one-hour massage, the report said.
Last week, police said Cohn invited the couple to his home, but on Wednesday Johnson referred to the police report stating that only Garcia was invited.
Garcia is not a licensed massage therapist, Johnson said.
At some point during the massage, Cohn decided to cut the session short, and it’s unclear why, according to the abbreviated police report. Johnson declined to elaborate.
When Cohn stopped the massage, Garcia became upset and texted someone, Cohn told police.
A few seconds later, her driver, whom Cohn described as a “stalky (sic) built Hispanic man,” began knocking loudly at his front door, the report said.
“Cohn said he was distracted by this and thinks it was at this moment ‘Diane’ took his iPad (that he had placed on a table by his front door),” the report said.
Johnson said Ceron entered Cohn’s home but refused to divulge what transpired inside.
According to the report, Garcia left with Ceron, and a few minutes later Cohn realized his iPad was missing. Cohn said he immediately called Garcia but she did not answer. Cohn said he left her a voicemail message saying he knew she took his iPad and demanded it back. Cohn also sent her a text message that said, “Turn my iPad over to the police.”
During the following weekend, Nov. 9-11, Cohn updated police on the text messages he was receiving from Garcia, the report said. Cohn claimed to police that prior to the theft of his iPad, during the time he was getting along with Garcia, he communicated with her via email as well as texting.
Garcia was attempting to have Cohn deposit money into her bank account, after which she promised to delete the contents of Cohn’s iPad. But she insisted that the iPad itself stay with her, the report said.
Garcia wanted to avoid meeting Cohn and was worried about being paid with counterfeit bills, but in the end she did agree to meet with Cohn, the report said.
According to the report, Hermosa Beach police officers staked out a bank in Maywood Nov. 13 and saw someone who looked exactly like Garcia walk up to the front doors of the bank. She was texting and looking around as if she was trying to locate someone, the report said. At the same time, Cohn informed officers that “Diane” was texting him and saying she was waiting in front of the bank.
After the suspect walked into the bank, she looked around and immediately walked back outside, the report said. Then Garcia walked quickly toward a parked minivan that was backed into a parking stall across the street from the bank. A man was sitting in the driver’s seat with the engine running. Officers identified themselves and ordered them out of the vehicle, the report said.
Garcia was cooperative and told police her real name. She also identified her boyfriend and said they were meeting someone to get cash for an iPad, according to the report.
Officers informed the couple they were under arrest and took them to the Hermosa Beach Police Department.
Garcia had a large, over-the-should bag with her containing a black Apple iPad 2, with the serial number identifying it as Cohn’s, police said.
Cohn, who is not married and won election last year, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Cohn’s iPad did not contain city-related documents or correspondence, and no resident account information was compromised, said Laura Mecoy, public relations consultant for the city.
