Search Of Stolen Vehicle Yields Drugs, ID-Theft Gear: Deputies

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA – A man, found sleeping in a car in a Home Depot parking lot in Soquel, was arrested on various felony charges early Thursday after a deputy ran a records check and learned the vehicle was reported stolen in Seattle, WA, according officials.

A Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputy was on patrol at about 3 a.m. when he spotted the 2018 Dodge Challenger in the store's parking lot on 41st Avenue. The license plate on the vehicle belonged to a different car, and the Challenger's VIN matched the theft report, the agency said.

The man inside the car, identified as Corey Clarke, claimed to live in Tacoma, WA. A search of the car yielded a small amount of meth and heroin, along with identity-theft materials including blank credit cards, roughly a dozen fake IDs and credit-card making equipment, deputies said.

Clarke was arrested and booked on several felony charges.

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--Images via Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office