On Saturday, February 6th at around 5:30 pm, a man allegedly attempted to steal a car in Canyon Country. Unfortunately for him, an off-duty Ventura County Sheriff’s deputy noticed what he was doing and intervened; prompting the suspect to flee on foot. The suspect’s flight was initially successful, until he attempted to escape the deputy by climbing into a storm drain and got stuck. The suspect was arrested around 8 pm and taken to the Santa Clarita Sheriff Station where he was booked.
At the time this article was written, the charges that the suspect is facing haven’t been made official, though it is likely he’ll be facing a charge of resisting arrest, since he ran, as well as attempted grand theft auto.
Resisting arrest is a misdemeanor that falls under California Penal Code 148 (a) (1) PC and is described as resisting, delaying, or otherwise obstructing a law enforcement officer or emergency medical technician while he or she is performing their duties. Basically, if you run from the cops, you can be charged with resisting arrest. As previously mentioned, it’s a misdemeanor under California Law so the possible penalties include up to 1-year in county jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Grand theft auto is covered by California Penal Code 487d1 PC and can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances of the case. Usually, though, grand theft auto is charged as a felony. It carries with it the potential sentences of 16-months to 3-years in jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. If the vehicle is priced at over $65,000, defendants can receive an additional and consecutive year in jail added to their sentence.
In this case, the suspect was not able to successfully steal the car, so his crime will not be grant theft auto, but instead be attempted grand theft auto. Under California Penal Code 21a, it is possible to be convicted of an “attempted crime” if a person specifically intends to commit a crime and tries to do so, but ultimately fails. In cases of attempted crimes, the penalties are usually half of what the underlying crime would have carried with it. So, attempted grand theft auto, charged as a felony, might carry a possible sentence of 8 to 16-months in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
