A man was arrested and transported to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin after being found near an apparently stolen vehicle with his wife inside.
A Piedmont Police officer observed the 2018 Kia Soul parked on Grand Avenue at 6:30 a.m. on May 22. According to Piedmont Police Department Captain Chris Monahan, the officer saw that the front passenger window was broken and the ignition tampered with. Inside the car was a woman who told police that her husband was driving the car and had just gotten out.
The husband was found standing next to a bus stop on Grand, according to Captain Monahan. Police contacted Oakland Police, who said the vehicle was reported stolen. A records check on the male found he was on probation for grand theft and had multiple warrants out of Berkeley and Albany, according to Captain Monahan. He also said the suspect admitted to driving the vehicle.
The man was taken to Santa Rita Jail and booked on possession of the stolen car and two felony warrants. The woman was released at the scene.
On May 20, a black 2004 Lexus ES330 set off an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) in a Piedmont officer’s patrol car at 12:44 p.m. The officer did a traffic stop in the area of southbound Highway 13 and Redwood Road. The car had been reported stolen out of Antioch. According to Captain Monahan, no warrants were found on the driver, but 10.83 grams of suspected methamphetamine was found in the car. The driver was taken to Santa Rita Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of drugs, and driving without a license.
Another man was arrested on May 22 when the stolen 2004 Ford F250 pickup was pinged on the ALPR system near Grand and Wildwood avenues. The hit came at 4:01 p.m.
Police found the vehicle on Lakeshore Avenue with three people inside. The driver was detained, according to Captain Monahan and a records check showed he was on probation for possession of a firearm and that he had a bench warrant. The driver was taken to Santa Rita Jail and booked for possessing the stolen vehicle, probation violations, and the felony warrant.
Captain Monahan said there was no update on the group of juveniles arrested by Oakland police for a series of strong arm robberies around the East Bay. Two crimes happened in Piedmont and the investigation into whether this was the same group is continuing, according to Captain Monahan.
“We are in contact with our victims looking for connections,” he said.