Two Men Arrested at Manhattan Beach Bank After Allegedly Placing 'Skimming Device' on ATM

Originally posted at 4:23 p.m. March 18, 2014. Edited to correct age of suspects.

Two Los Angeles men were arrested by undercover Manhattan Beach police as they tried to leave the parking lot of a Chase bank branch after allegedly placing a skimming device on an ATM, authorities said today.

Melik Torosyan, 31, and Khachatur Harutyunyan, 23, left the device on the ATM sometime Saturday and returned later that same night to retrieve it, according to Officer Stephanie Martin of the Manhattan Beach Police Department. Undercover officers arrested them around 8 p.m. as they left the bank's parking lot, Martin said.

Numerous items were seized during the investigation, including a credit card scanner skimming device, credit cards, gift cards, cell phones, mounting tape and a magnetic block to clear the magnetic strips on cards.

According to police, the suspects installed the skimmer and a pin hole camera to cover the ATM's card slot. Account information, including the PIN numbers, were captured by the devices, she said.

It was later discovered that the same suspects allegedly had placed similar devices on ATMs in Manhattan Beach at least six other times, starting Jan. 30.

The Secret Service assisted in the investigation.

The suspects were booked on suspicion of possessing a scanning device, theft of access card/account information and conspiracy.

--City News Service