From the Centre Police Department:

***Press Release***

On 02/14/2025 a store manager from a local grocery store contacted Centre PD in fefefence to a Card Skimmer found at one of the points of sales in the store. The same store manager found that the card skimmer was placed on 02/07/2025 by this individual pictured below.

It was also reported that there were several stores in the area that had the same male offender doing the same thing at those stores.

The card skimmer was seized and taken in as evidence. The store manager was advised to be on lookout for the same male trying to collect the card skimmer back and to contact Cherokee 911.

On today’s date, that manager did just that. Chief Inv. Randy Mayorga was the first one to arrive to the scene just as the male offender was walking in the parking lot. The male was immediately detained and identified as Rey Morales Avila, 32, from Kissimmee, Florida and a Cuban National. Avila was charged with Attempted ID Theft and Encoded Data Fraud.

Other agencies are aware of this arrest and have been working with Chief Inv. Randy Mayorga to have him charged and extradited to their JD’s.

WEIS Radio recently ran a story warning of the dangers of these devices in the area. That story can be read here.

https://weisradio.com/2025/02/17/be-aware-of-credit-card-skimmers-being-used-in-the-area/