A man was arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto after he reportedly told deputies that he had “borrowed” an allegedly stolen vehicle.
According to Deputy Natalie Arriaga, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the arrest stemmed from a crime suppression operation led by the Crime Prevention Unit on Wednesday, near the intersection of Crossglade Avenue and Soledad Canyon Road.
“During a traffic stop, the male driver was unable to provide proof of any registration, nor could he remember much information of who he ‘borrowed’ the van from, leading deputies to believe the van was stolen,” said Arriaga. “As deputies opened the van door to conduct a search, they found a Vespa laying inside the cargo, later identified to be stolen.”
The man, who was alleged to have had several previous convictions for taking a vehicle without an owner’s consent, was booked on suspicion of grand theft auto, taking a vehicle without owner’s consent and displaying false registration tabs.
He was booked into the SCV Sheriff’s Station and remained in custody as of Thursday.