A teen has been arrested and a second subject is being sought following the theft of a vehicle from a local resident.
Corcoran police responded to a call from a female resident in the 600 block of Reagan Ave. Friday evening at about 10:30 p.m. The woman reported her 1997 white Honda Accord had been stolen and was last seen heading east towards 6 ½ Ave.
Officers on their way to the scene saw a car that matched the description of the stolen vehicle, heading east in the 1600 block of Whitley Ave. The Honda accelerated and continued east on Whitley and officers initiated a pursuit after the vehicle failed to yield to lights and sirens. The car continued to evade law enforcement out of town and attempted to flee on a dirt road at Avenue 170 and Road 32, but came to a stop as the Honda became disabled due to the muddy conditions.
The driver and passenger both fled the vehicle and ran on foot through an orchard. Officers from the Corcoran Police Department, along with the Kings County Sheriff’s Office air unit “Sky King 1”, K-9, Kings County Gang Task Force and California Highway Patrol set a perimeter.
One of the suspects surrendered a short time later. That suspect was identified as a male juvenile from Earlimart. Officers were unable to locate the second suspect.
The juvenile was booked into the local jail on charges of vehicle theft, evading a peace officer, delaying and obstructing a peace officer and possession of stolen property. He was later booked into the Kings County Juvenile Center in Hanford.
According to Chief Reuben Shortnacy, there has been a significant spike in vehicle thefts and burglaries in recent months. Recently, a vehicle was stolen from its parking place at the local depot, and later found in the Earlimart area.
“We believe this individual is part of a group that may very well be tied to other vehicle thefts,” noted Shortnacy.
Anyone with information on the vehicle theft is encouraged to call the Corcoran Police Department at 992-5151.
