Police Arrest Alleged Auto Theft Suspect

Police arrested a man Monday morning at a Hercules gas station after they discovered he was driving a stolen vehicle.

At 5:17 a.m., an officer driving through the Shell gas station, located at 3900 San Pablo Ave., noticed a man walking away from a Lexus RX 330, according to police. The officer ran a license plate check and the results revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen to California Highway Patrol on June 4, police said.

When the man returned to the vehicle, the officer maneuvered his patrol vehicle to block the Lexus and activated his overhead lights. The driver exited the vehicle and fled north, away from the officer, police said.

When the officer ordered the man to stop, the suspect complied.

The officer checked inside the Lexus and found a woman’s purse, belonging to a Hercules resident, police said. The officer contacted the owner of the purse. The owner checked her vehicle and realized her and her husband’s car were unlocked and had been ransacked, according to police.

In addition to the stolen property, officers also found a substance inside the car, believed to be a narcotic, police said.

Police arrested the driver, 25-year-old Justin Kent for possession of stolen property, auto burglary and possession of a controlled substance, police said. Records showed that Kent had four felony warrants out of Napa County, and is currently on felony probation in that county as well, according to police.

--Bay City News; Patch Image Archive