Identity theft victim hit by suspect's car at Best Buy while helping Fort Worth police

An identity theft suspect is in the Mansfield jail, on charges including credit card abuse, identity fraud, evading arrest, forgery of financial information and possession of marijuana.

34-year-old Christopher Cartwright was arrested Friday evening, after Fort Worth police say he drove into one of his alleged victims, a U.S. Airman, in a Best Buy parking lot.

That Airman, Benjamin Cifone, tells FOX 4 he lost $200 in cash when his wallet was stolen, Thursday night. He thought he had canceled all his credit cards, but at least one of them stayed active. The next day, Cifone says he noticed the card had been charged at a number of businesses. He spent the next several hours following a $2,000 trail of charges from business to business, until he ended up at a Best Buy on Quebec St.

Employees there told Cifone the man who reportedly stole his identity had not only bought a TV with his card, but was still at the store, waiting for the new screen to be delivered to his vehicle. Cifone says employees began stalling Cartwright as they called police. After a few minutes, Cifone says Cartwright became nervous about the situation and walked out. That’s when Cifone made the decision to go after him.

“As soon as he got into the vehicle I was pulling on the door handle telling him ‘Hey, the police are here. Stop, stop!’" said Cifone, an arm suspended in a sling. Police were just pulling into the parking lot at that same time and the suspect stepped on the gas. “The guy pulled out with his car and he ran right into me as I was trying to back away, but I didn't make it in time. Thank God he only hit me in my shoulder and in my chest.”

Police raced through the parking, lot and initiated a chase. The officers say they followed him out of the Best Buy and eventually stopped him, south of Benbrook. Cartwright is charged with 9 felonies and 1 misdemeanor. A female passenger in his vehicle was also arrested.
 
Cifone says the officers told him Cartwright was in possession of at least 6 other people’s IDs.