The Nevada County Sheriff's Office reported the arrest of 27-year-old George Gault on charges related to residential burglary and the theft of a golf cart from a former landscaping client's home in Lake of the Pines. The arrest, following an investigation begun earlier this month, occurred on October 20. According to an official media release from the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, Gault, who hails from Auburn, was identified through leads connected to an online advertisement for the stolen golf cart.
On October 3, after noticing the golf cart's absence, the victim had filed an online theft report to the NCSO. A patrol deputy, working the case, followed up. They spotted an advertisement online purporting to sell the golf cart which was soon recognized as the victim's missing property. The investigation, which was initiated based on the victim's report, took on new dimension after locating the advertisement, sounds like an investigation that would unfold in a cinematic heist film, but is grounded in reality.
The trail led to Merced County, where the purchaser of the golf cart—a buyer who seemingly had no idea the item was stolen—cooperated with authorities upon contact. With the assistance of the Atwater Police Department, the stolen golf cart was successfully recovered. The Nevada County Sheriff's Office's patient and careful follow-through on the theft report brought the case to fruition.
Gault now faces several charges, including Burglary, Grand Theft of a Vehicle, and Theft from an Elderly or Dependent Adult, following the sheriff's discovery of the golf cart's sale. The suspect was booked into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility.
