Citrus Heights police said they recovered a stolen vehicle and arrested an at-large wanted parolee Monday, after “an alert citizen” helped find the man hiding in a shed within a search perimeter officers established near Antelope Road and Mariposa Avenue.
Sergeant Mike Wells said police officers located the stolen vehicle just “moments” after it had been reported stolen around 9 a.m. by a man who left his vehicle running while going inside a local gas station.
Police said the thief fled the vehicle on foot and was reported “hopping fences” near Mariposa and Pratt Avenues, leading officers to establish a multi-block perimeter in search of the thief. A California Highway Patrol plane was also observed circling the area during the search.
Wells said the search resulted in officers finding a man hiding in a shed after “an alert citizen observed some property, which did not belong to them, in front of their residence and advised officers.”
The man is believed to be responsible for the vehicle theft, according to Wells, but an investigation is still under way. He said officers arrested the man after determining him to be an at-large wanted parolee.
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The sergeant said CHPD reminds drivers “not to leave their vehicles running when unoccupied,” commenting that it happens more frequently in the winter when drivers warm up their cars on a cold morning. “It only takes a few seconds to have your vehicle stolen, and leaving it running can make an inviting target for criminals.”
