Woman Chases Down, Helps Nab Her Own Identity Thief

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Former stand-up comedienne Karen Lodrick, 41, didn’t think there was anything funny about having her identity stolen. But even she had to see the humor in finding her own identity thief standing next to her in line at Starbucks.

The San Francisco creative consultant was waiting for a latte at Starbucks when she noticed the unique suede coat slung over the arm of another customer. Lodrick recognized the coat immediately – she’d seen it once before on her bank’s security camera. The camera had captured imposter Maria Nelson while she withdrew money from Lodrick’s account at Wells Fargo.

In November of 2006, Lodrick’s mail carrier informed the residents of her San Francisco neighborhood that the master keys for the area had been stolen, and not long after she was told there was irregular activity on her accounts.

An unsolicited credit card offer and information that contained her social security number were all Maria Nelson needed to assume Lodrick’s identity, and in three days she had withdrawn over $9,000 from various accounts.

The ordeal lasted for more than six months, with Lodrick dedicating a large portion of her time dealing with various credit card companies, banks, and credit reporting agencies.

In an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, Lodrick detailed her struggles in trying to restore her own identity and good credit. She guessed she lost over $30,000 in income that would have been earned for the duration of time she spent on the case.

And then it got even worse. It seemed that Nelson had specifically targeted Lodrick in her crimes: when Lodrick changed ID numbers and bank accounts, Nelson raided her mailbox once more and tried to get even more money.

By the time Lodrick spotted Nelson with her one-of-a-kind coat at Starbucks, she’d had enough. "She had bad teeth and looked like she hadn’t bathed," Lodrick told The San Francisco Chronicle. "I thought, ‘You’re buying Prada on my dime."

When Nelson left the coffee shop, Lodrick decided to follow her. She dialed 911 on her cell phone and kept the dispatcher on the phone while she chased after Nelson, block after block. Despite their size difference – Nelson is 5’10" and "a big girl," while Lodrick is 5’2", she wasn’t going to let the thief get away.

She followed Nelson for several blocks, even stopping the cab driver when Nelson tried to get away in a taxi. Finally, Nelson said to her, "Stop following me. You’re scaring me.’

"I’m scared too," responded Lodrick. "Let’s just wait for the police and we can straighten this out."

Nelson replied that she was on probation, and took off again. At one point during the chase she dropped a wallet into an empty shopping cart, and Lodrick picked it up. The Prada wallet contained a social security card and credit and debit cards – all in Karen Lodrick’s name. The chase continued.

Lodrick thought she’d lost her quarry at a Walgreen’s parking garage, when police finally showed up – 45 minutes into the 911 call. Police officer Ricky Terrell located Nelson lurking behind a parked car, smoking a cigarette.

Nelson was apprehended and entered a plea bargain, in which her previous jail time of 44 days was counted as time served, and sentenced to an additional three years’ probation. She was also ordered to undergo drug and alcohol treatment and psychological counseling.

Lodrick was not happy with the verdict. "I can’t believe it," she told Chronicle reporters. "I went through six months of hell and she’s going to get probation? She was on probation when she victimized me. Obviously probation’s not helping."

Though Wells Fargo had reimbursed Lodrick for the amount she’d lost from her accounts, Nelson was also ordered to pay restitution and to stay away from Lodrick.

The police detective who supervised the case was so impressed by Lodrick’s attention to detail and persistent resolve that he invited her to become a police detective. "She’s quite the detective," said police inspector Bruce Fairbairn to reporters. "I was so impressed by her courage, her dogged determination and her savvy that I took her down to recruitment. She has the best natural instincts for a cop I’ve seen in years."

Though intrigued by the offer, Lodrick’s going to stick with her consulting business. When asked about pursuing a career as a police detective, Lodrick told reporters, "I just don’t have the stomach for it."