A Las Vegas man was handcuffed by deputies for allegedly lifting a 2019 Jeep Wrangler from a Norco car dealership. According to a San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department release, the incident took place on January 31st, and authorities apprehended the suspect, 28-year-old Gonzalo Anaya Pelayo, in Victorville, where the stolen vehicle was found stashed in a parking lot.
Dealership employees originally flagged the Jeep as missing and managed to trace its location to the Seventh Street and La Paz Drive area in Victorville. Arriving deputies not only found the vehicle parked without a lawn in the 14600 block of Seventh Street but also found Pelayo seated inside like he owned the thing, which he allegedly did not.
Pelayo was taken into custody without further drama and now faces charges for V.C. 10851(A) - Vehicle Theft, and P.C. 496D(A) - Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, as stated by the Sheriff's Department. He's cooling his heels at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto until his day in court comes.
Those with additional insights into the lifted Jeep affair are being encouraged to step forward. The Victorville Police Station and Sheriff's Dispatch are accepting calls, with assurances that tipsters looking to keep a low profile can drop anonymous hints through the We-Tip hotline or its website. Following the trail of evidence, Deputy A. Gutierrez is leading the charge on the case, which has been logged under the number 172401330.
