Full Notification

DETECTIVES TAKE “NEWSPAPER PICKPOCKET” OFF THE STREETS
ARRESTED: Keith Bernard Morrow, Male, 56 years old

PASADENA, CA – On Thursday, January 11, 2018, Pasadena Police Detectives identified a career criminal suspected of preying on elderly victims, stealing their wallets and identity in three different counties. The suspect, dubbed the “Newspaper Pickpocket” due to his use of a newspaper ad to distract and hide his hand as he removed wallets from his victims’ purses, had police looking for him in Pasadena, Torrance, and Upland, but his identity remained a mystery.

Pasadena Police Detective Victor Cass had four cases involving the suspect, dating back to June 2017. A break came in the case when Torrance Police Department issued a “Wanted” flyer that had a license plate from a vehicle driven by Morrow. The vehicle’s registered owner led Detective Cass and Detective Tom Blanchard to a house in South Los Angeles, where family members of the vehicle’s owner positively identified Morrow.

Detective Cass learned that Morrow had been arrested in December by the Seal Beach Police Department for the same types of crimes and was being held in jail in Orange County. Detective Cass took the lead on filing charges in Los Angeles County, coordinating with Torrance Police Detectives Walker and Kempf, who forwarded their cases to Cass, as well as Upland Police Detective McCullough, who is expected to file charges on Morrow in San Bernardino County.

On Friday, January 19, 2018, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed 12 felony counts against Morrow, including Identity Theft and Theft from an Elder/Dependent Adult. Morrow’s bail was set at $465,000 for the Los Angeles County cases and $220,000 for the Orange County cases. Morrow’s next court date in Orange County is on February 1, 2018.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241 or you may report information anonymously by calling "Crime Stoppers" by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.