A Buford man suspected of stealing thousands of dollars in Gwinnett and Forsyth counties through ID fraud was arrested over the weekend.
The Gwinnett County Police Department released a statement Monday afternoon saying Speedy Gonzalez, 35, was taken into custody Saturday, April 25 as he was walking into an Embassy Suites hotel on Satellite Boulevard in Duluth.
Gonzalez first came to the attention of police detectives in March as they were investigating the theft of some checks from a mailbox at a Suwanee residence. At the time, they were able to determine Gonzalez had stolen the checks and then used the account number to make purchases at a local Home Depot. He then returned the merchandise for cash.
On March 10, investigators released Gonzalez's name along with surveillance photos from the Home Depot store, asking the public for help in the search.
Gonzalez had not been seen until early Saturday morning when a traffic security camera notified police a wanted suspect was in the area of Sugarloaf Parkway and Satellite Boulevard. A police report said officers responded to the scene and saw Gonzalez, his young daughter and the child's mother entering the hotel. Once officers confirmed Gonzalez's identity he was arrested and transported to the Gwinnett County Jail.
During the booking process, detectives were able to determine that not only was Gonzalez wanted for forgery and ID theft in Gwinnett County, but also the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office had taken out 21 arrest warrants for similar crimes against Gonzalez. The suspect also was wanted on four arrest warrants in Opelika, Alabama.
