Vehicle thefts jump in Yuba-Sutter
• Always lock your vehicle.
• Always utilize anti-theft devices.
• Always park your vehicle in a well-lit area at night.
• Always make sure you receive an ownership certificate when purchasing a used vehicle.
• Never leave your keys in your vehicle.
• Never hide a spare ignition key in the vehicle.
• Install an audible alarm system.
• When possible, park your vehicle in a secure garage.
• Beware of your surroundings prior to leaving your vehicle.
• Beware of high theft vehicles.
Source: California Highway Patrol
Vehicle thefts are on the rise in Yuba-Sutter, according to law enforcement agencies.
"We've definitely noticed a recent trend in thefts," said Marysville police Sgt. Chris Sachs.
Officer Jodie Beck of the Yuba-Sutter office of the California Highway Patrol has seen the same pattern.
Yuba-Sutter CHP has received 36 stolen vehicle reports since Jan. 1 and recovered 18, Beck said.
Vehicle theft reports, including motorcycles, boats, and all-terrain vehicles, are also up dramatically over last year, law enforcement said.
Shawna Pavey, Yuba City police spokeswoman, said off cers have taken more than 40 reports since Jan. 1. In 2012, a total of 184 vehicle thefts were reported.
Nearly half of the cars stolen this year have been Hondas, with 19 reported stolen in Yuba City, Pavey said.
"Honda seems to be the most stolen car this year," she said.
The cars have a "high resale value," the CHP said, and the parts are interchangeable with similar models from year to year.
Toyota pickups are the most frequently stolen pickup, the CHP said.
Pavey said police are recovering about 70 percent of all stolen vehicles.
Two more car thefts were reported about three hours apart on Friday at an apartment complex in the 600 block of Cooper Avenue in Yuba City, according to police reports.
Numbers in Marysville were not available, but Sachs estimated about 20 such reports have been taken over the last month.
It's not clear why vehicle thefts have spiked in recent months. Many reports appear isolated and unrelated. Others could be the work of one person or a small group of people, police said.
Marysville police Sgt. Chris Miller called the recent trend disturbing.
"This is the worst (spike) I've seen in many years," Miller said.
Recent stolen vehicle incidents
• Gridley's David Allen Williams III was arrested Tuesday in Yuba City in connection with at least three stolen cars. Police spokeswoman Shawna Pavey said the investigation continues and did not rule out the possibility of connecting Williams to additional open cases. The 31-year-old has been arrested four times since December on stolen vehicle charges in Sutter and Butte counties.
• Dalia Amador, an 18-year-old Colusa woman, was arrested Thursday morning in a stolen vehicle on North George Washington Boulevard in Yuba City.
• John H. Kelley, 28, of Yuba City was arrested after a brief chase along Seventh Street in Marysville in a stolen 1997 Mazda.
• A Union Pacific train struck a stolen car Tuesday night.
CONTACT Rob Parsons at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4785. Find him on Facebook at /ADcrimebeat or on Twitter at @ADcrimebeat.
