Gridley man again jailed in vehicle theft

A Gridley man was arrested Tuesday on stolen vehicle charges, his fourth such arrest since December.

David Allen Williams III tried to hide from Yuba City police behind a large pillar at Evans' Furniture in Yuba City before he was taken into custody on three fresh counts of vehicle theft, police spokeswoman Shawna Pavey said.

"We were trying to contact him after developing information that led us to believe he was involved in multiple vehicle thefts in Yuba City," Pavey said.

Williams, 31, was booked into the Sutter County Jail on three counts of driving a vehicle without owner consent, receiving stolen property and committing a felony while out on bail from a prior charge.

Police linked Williams to a 1997 Honda Civic reported stolen on Jan. 30 and a 2000 Mitsubishi sedan, reported stolen Feb. 2 and at least one other car, Pavey said.

Williams has been in and out of jail in Sutter and Butte counties in recent months. He was jailed Dec. 16 in Sutter County on suspicion of burglary and petty theft.

Williams was picked up again Dec. 31 in Butte County and charged with stealing a car, according to Butte County Superior Court records.

Yuba City police arrested him again Jan. 6 in another stolen vehicle while holding methamphetamine, unidentified stolen property and a knife, according to court records.

His prior criminal history includes numerous drug, theft and obstruction convictions, according to court records.

Williams remains in custody at the Sutter County Jail on $500,000 bail. He is scheduled for arraignment today in Sutter County Superior Court.