RIVERSIDE: Auto-repair shop owner catches, detains suspect who tried to steal car
RIVERSIDE – A woman was arrested by Riverside police officers after she allegedly tried to steal a vehicle from an auto-repair shop Saturday Dec. 17. The attempted vehicle theft happened in the 3500 block of Chicago Avenue in the City of Riverside.
Kathrine Saldivar was arrested for trying to steal a car, after she was caught and detained by a shop owner where the car had been at for repairs.
After an investigation into the allegedly incident, an officer arrested Kathrine Saldivar, 35, of Riverside for vehicle theft and other charges related to the incident.
The investigation began when a Riverside police officer responded to an auto-repair shop about 5:20 p.m., regarding reports of a suspected car thief who was caught in the act of stealing a car.
A 911 caller told City of Riverside emergency dispatchers that the owner of the shop was physically detaining the car theft suspect after the woman attempted to take a vehicle from the shop without permission.
Upon arrival, the officer determined that the female suspect, who was identified as Saldivar, walked into the business, got into a vehicle and started it, and began to drive away.
The owner, who was standing nearby and heard the vehicle start-up went to investigate. When the shop owner saw Saldivar leaving the location, he jumped into the moving vehicle and wrestled control of the vehicle away from her. He then detained her until the officer arrived.
After the investigation, Saldivar was arrested and booked into jail for grand theft auto, possession of stolen property, and trespassing.
A jail records search revealed Saldivar is being held in lieu of $10,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice Dec. 21.
It was not immediately known what connection, if any, that Saldivar had to the vehicle. Several calls to the business on Monday went unanswered.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.