SAN DIEGO -- His crime isn't bloody; it's dirty.

His weapon isn't a gun; it's a grocery cart.

His victim isn't random; it's every single resident of San Diego.

Code enforcement has just caught another recycling scavenger.

For every can or bottle a recycling scavenger takes, the city loses money.

"You are taking money away from the city, so it's costing the citizens more," said Lisa Poston of Environmental Services.

The city has no hard numbers but estimates it loses thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of dollars each year as a result of scavengers. That is why it is a misdemeanor offense to take anything out of a blue recycling bin.

Money is not the city's only concern as many of the blue bins hold important papers that some people might use to steal an identity.

It is those who are after more than just the bottles and cans that could often be violent.

A simple citation could turn into much more with a possible criminal.

But there are those out there that are not out to get your identity. They are just trying to make ends meet and they have no idea that what they are doing is illegal.

One particular scavenger was terrified when confronted by police officers. To him, cops mean jail. He has no record, not even a parking ticket. His biggest concern was that his mom would find out and the judge would be angry.

"I don't want the judge to get mad at me and tell me, 'you didn't know about this.' I didn't know about this …," said the man.

Poston said, "There are people that don't know. We try to educate along with issuing the citation."

There are things you could do to help stop scavengers and to protect yourself.

Experts recommend always keeping your bins on your property and to not leave them out overnight. They also recommend bringing the bins back in as soon as they are emptied.

Also, experts advise people to shred all documents as they could still be recycled if they are in a paper bag or unsealed plastic bag.

If you see scavengers, immediately report them to Environmental Services.

The scavengers the 10News I-Team found told them they make around $325 every couple of days from the bottles and cans they collect.

The city is planning on putting stickers on the bins that spell out what type of punishment comes from stealing recyclables.