A ‘gym dandy’ of a story

Gerardo “Jerry” Mendez of Parlier was arrested and booked on a $10,000 warrant at the Fresno County Jail on two counts of auto insurance fraud.

An investigation by the CDI revealed Mendez allegedly submitted false claims to State Farm Insurance in 1998 when he declared his car stolen from a gym in Clovis. The truck was recovered about 30 miles from the gym, near the community in which Mendez resides.

Investigators said Mendez claimed that auto parts and stereo equipment had been stolen from his truck, for which he submitted receipts to State Farm.

When State Farm attempted to validate the receipts, they discovered the one for the auto parts was phony. Although the receipt for the stereo equipment was determined to be authentic, investigators charge that Mendez had returned the parts for a refund.

Investigators confronted Mendez, who denied the auto parts receipt was false, but withdrew the claim for the stereo equipment.

Topics Auto