Deputy poses as victim to arrest Paso woman suspected of selling stolen property

A detective posing as a burglary victim arrested a Paso Robles woman last week after the woman allegedly tried to sell back about $14,000 worth of items stolen from a pickup truck.

On Dec. 6, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a vehicle burglary in the 22000 block of El Camino Real in Atascadero.

The alleged victim, who works for an out-of-the-area utility company, told deputies that on Nov. 23, someone smashed a window of his 2013 pickup truck and stole a backpack containing a laptop and work-related equipment, according to a department news release.

On Nov. 6, the man contacted the Sheriff’s Office after he said he received a phone call from a woman who claimed to have his backpack and offered to sell it back to him for $250.

Two days later, a detective posing as the victim met the woman at the corner of Spring Street and 4th Street in Paso Robles and money was allegedly exchanged for the backpack. Most of the stolen property was recovered.

Police arrested 52-year-old Kerry Lynn Allison of Paso Robles on suspicion of felony possession of stolen property. Allison was booked into County Jail, where she remained late Thursday in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla said Thursday that detectives were still investigating whether Allison committed the initial burglary or whether she was related to any other known burglaries.

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Deputy poses as victim to arrest Paso woman suspected of selling stolen property."