Suspected credit card thief arrested with four others

BARSTOW — A couple calls from the community, some follow-up detective work and a newspaper article led to the arrest of a suspected credit card thief and her accomplices.

Sgt. Rob Ciolli and Lt. Don Riser from the Barstow Sheriff’s Station arrested Tammy Lynn Gollner, 42, on Friday for suspicion of burglary, theft and vandalism after finding a 32-inch flat screen television and pawn slip for a DVD player the sheriff’s department contends were purchased with a stolen credit card.

“I had three people calling me right off that bat,” Ciolli said. “I’ve never dealt with her. I have never seen her, but obviously local business owners were familiar with her.”

Friday’s Desert Dispatch included a photograph of Gollner obtained from a Wal-Mart surveillance camera and an accompanying article about a string of recent transactions made with a stolen credit card. Det. Gary Hart said Gollner charged more than $1,000 to another person’s credit card at Barstow businesses including Wal-Mart, Jack in the Box, Kaybee Toys and the Flying J Truck stop. Ciolli also found a small quantity of methamphetamine on Gollner.

Friday morning, Ciolli received calls that led him and Riser to local businesses that Gollner frequented. The business owners, who recognized Gollner’s photo in the paper, then suggested to look for Gollner at one of the local motels in which she had stayed. Ciolli and Riser eventually found Gollner and another person in a room at the Sage Motel on the 200 block of West Main Street with a pawn shop slip for the DVD player. The other person was arrested but released after interviews, Ciolli said.

Further investigation led Ciolli and Riser to a home on the 25000 block of National Trails Highway in Helendale. There they found the 32-inch television and Victor Batchler, 37, who they believed assisted Gollner with the thefts. Ciolli arrested Batchler for suspicion of burglary and credit card theft.

Ciolli said Batchler admitted to selling the television to a couple, who were found in the basement of the home and were arrested but later released. Ciolli and Riser recovered the merchandise from the home and booked Gollner and Batchler into the Barstow Jail. Batchler remains in custody; Gollner is out on bail.

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