A Modesto man is facing a litany of criminal charges for an alleged crime spree that traversed through Turlock, Ceres and Modesto on Tuesday.
In the span of seven hours, Jesus Guzman Vega, 32, of Modesto is suspected of stealing three vehicles, breaking into two homes, and committing one assault.
The hunt for Vega began around 11 a.m. Tuesday when the Turlock Police Department was notified of a residential burglary in the 500 block of Vermont Street. During the burglary, a 2014 Chevy Silverado was taken. The Turlock Police Department gathered evidence at the scene that indicated Vega was responsible for the burglary and auto theft, according to the Stanislaus County auto theft task force.
At 12:40 p.m. the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department responded to the 500 block of Crows Landing Road in Modesto for a report of an assault and a robbery. At the scene deputies found the 2014 Chevy Silverado.
About 10 minutes later a report came in to the Modesto Police Department of an auto theft that had just occurred in the 600 block of Zeff Road. The suspect, later identified as Vega, stole and 1997 Chevy Silverado, StanCATT reported.
Vega's whereabouts were unknown for the next several hours and it seemed as if the spree had ended. But then, shortly after 6 p.m. the Merced County Sheriff's Department advised the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department of a residential burglary that had just happened in the 11000 block of Youngstown Road, in an unincorporated area of Turlock. At the residence the sheriff's deputies found the 1997 Chevy Silverado and learned that a 2018 Ford F-150 had been taken.
At about 6:40 p.m., StanCATT found the 2018 Ford F-150 in the parking lot of 1342 E Hatch Road. While watching the vehicle agents saw Vega start to drive it out of the parking lot. StanCATT investigators conducted surveillance and requested the assistance of the sheriff's department. They watched as it pulled into a motel on Hatch and then took Vega into custody.
Located in the vehicle was an unloaded 12-gauge shotgun taken during one of the burglaries.
The 2018 Ford F-150 was released back to the owner.
Vega was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on suspicion of residential burglary, auto theft, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great bodily injury/death, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
