30-year-old Miguel Garcia was caught stealing a vehicle on May 5th near an intersection On Korean Veterans Boulevard and Hermitage Avenue. Officers responded to a motor vehicle theft report at a Middleton Street apartment residence, speaking with Robert Burnett. Burnett stated that his white Ford F150 was parked at the residence and that it was no longer there when he returned to the residence. Officers then confirmed that the vehicle was not towed and that the victim did not owe any money on the truck before putting a complete report on the vehicle and entering it as stolen. About an hour later, officers responding to an unrelated call noticed the vehicle at the intersection of Korean Veterans Boulevard and Hermitage Avenue. Officers immediately got behind the vehicle and confirmed the license plate before calling the helicopter and initiating a traffic stop. Officers performed a felony takedown and searched the car, finding two glass pipes with residue.
Officers then spoke with Garcia, who stated he was walking around with his friend when he and his friend walked over to Middleton Street. Garcia said his friend opened the door to the truck and got in the driver’s seat. Garcia also claimed that he believed the vehicle was his friend’s and that his friend gave him the truck to use for work. Garcia could not provide a name or description of the friend, and there was no one else with Garcia at the time of the traffic stop. Robert Burnett, the owner of the vehicle, arrived on the scene to recover the vehicle and searched through it, giving all of the items not belonging to him to officers. Burnett gave officers a black backpack that Garcia confirmed was his. The backpack contained marijuana, the vehicle’s registration, and boat keys. The vehicle was valued at more than $60,000. Officers discovered that Garcia did not have a valid driver’s license. Garcia was taken into custody and charged with Property theft, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving without a license on May 6th.