Two arrested on suspicion of passing counterfeit money

Police arrested two people on suspicion of possession of counterfeit currency Tuesday when one of them allegedly purchased items at Target using a fake $100 bill. 

Morgan Hill police responded to Target, 1066 Cochrane Road, about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on a report of a woman who used a suspicious $100 bill to purchase items at the store, according to a press release from MHPD. 

When officers arrived, they were told the woman, later identified as Shazda McCormick, 24 of Union City, was seen entering a white Cadillac in the store’s parking lot, police said. The vehicle was located in the same shopping center, in front of the Staples store. 

Officers contacted employees of Staples who told them McCormick made a purchase in that store using a counterfeit $100 bill, police said. 

McCormick was contacted by police as she attempted to leave Staples, according to the press release. A second suspect, Marcell West, 22 of Union City, was located inside the white Cadillac. A search revealed West had six more counterfeit $100 bills inside his pants pocket. 

McCormick and West were booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of passing counterfeit currency, police said. 

A number of downtown Morgan Hill retailers last week reported incidents of customers trying to pass counterfeit $100 bills. It is unclear if the suspects arrested Tuesday are related to the reported counterfeit incidents last week. 

Anyone with information about this incident can call Morgan Hill Police at (408) 779-2101.