Man and 11-year-old girl caught with cash and credit cards in Friendswood

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (KTRK) -- A fraud arrest in Friendswood might be part of a larger Romanian fraud conspiracy, authorities say.

Friendswood police say they arrested an 18-year-old Romanian national Monday after he was reported making suspicious ATM withdrawals.

Officers say they discovered an 11-year-old girl in the vehicle with him.

Fabrizio Victor Slatineo was arrested for a traffic charge, and both he and the girl were brought to the police station.

Once there, police found thousands of dollars in cash and credit card blanks on the young girl. Police say she was hiding the evidence in a pouch that was found under her skirt.

Officers believe the two are part of a group that they said steals debit and credit card numbers by cloning them at ATMs and then makes withdrawals.

Friendswood believes this criminal activity is happening both in its city and in Harris County as well.

Slatineo was charged with possession of incomplete credit cards, and his bond was set at $60,000. Friendswood police say he is wanted by Interpol.

The 11-year-old was placed with Children's Protective Services after officers spoke with a woman claiming to be the girl's mother.