Arrested days ago with “tens of thousands” dollars worth of stolen Redding vehicles & property, man nabbed again in stolen car

REDDING — An Anderson man who was arrested last Tuesday after officials found he was in possession of tens of thousands of dollars worth of vehicles and property stolen from Redding was arrested again just five days later, after a victim spotted the convicted felon driving her stolen car.

Arrested again Sunday afternoon, Nov. 18, was 41-year-old Roy Croft. Before Sunday’s apprehension, he was last arrested Nov. 13 when Redding police officers recovered a truck stolen Oct. 22 in Redding, as well as an enclosed trailer stolen in Redding Nov. 13. Both the truck and trailer were recovered at Croft’s Anderson home.

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The trailer, owned by Redding’s Headwaters Adventure Company, was filled with $30,000 in kayaks, stand-up paddle-boards, paddles, helmets, and other outdoor adventure gear. Officers earlier said they recovered every bit of equipment, which was later returned to the grateful business owners.

Despite his arrest, Croft seemed to have managed to conceal another car stolen in Redding four days before the trailer and property theft that led to his arrest last week. It was that 1997 Honda Accord, stolen Nov. 9, that led to his most recent arrest, when the car’s owner spotted Croft driving it in Redding.

The victim, a 57-year-old, Redding woman, called 911 shortly after 3:30 p.m., and reported to Shascom emergency dispatchers that she was driving behind her stolen Honda. According to the victim, her stolen car was being driven south on Highway 273 near Breslauer Ln.

As officers were converging on the area, the victim continued following her stolen sedan while updating Shascom with her location. She eventually lost sight of the Honda in the area of Highway 273 and Girvan Rd., Redding Police Corporal Rob Peterson later explained.

Officers soon arrived where the victim had last seen her vehicle and began checking the area, eventually locating the car parked in the Win-River Casino parking lot. As officers approached the Honda they saw Croft sitting in the driver’s seat of the sedan. He was cooperative with officers and detained at the scene, according to Peterson.

During a subsequent search of the Honda, officers found an aluminum baseball bat near the driver’s seat, along with a box of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Croft is prohibited from possessing ammunition. He was also found to be in possession of narcotics and “shaved keys,” commonly used for stealing vehicles.

The victim later told investigating officers that neither the bat or the ammunition belonged to her and neither had been inside the car when it was stolen.

See related: Tens of thousands in stolen vehicles and property recovered in Anderson

Croft was arrested and transported to Shasta County Jail where he was booked on suspicion of vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession of burglary tools, possession of a dangerous weapon, and ex-felon in possession of ammunition.

“Yeah, that’s our Roy. He’s a pretty sh–ty thief and a pretty sh–ty person too,” one of Croft’s neighbors replied when asked about the recent police activity at Croft’s Anderson residence on the 5300 block of Doberman Ln., and his multiple recent vehicle and property theft related arrests. “He’s one of those damned idiots who won’t learn until it’s too late and someone shoots him dead.”

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or about Croft’s ongoing, criminal activities is encouraged to contact Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200, or Anderson Police Department at (530) 378-6600. If related to this investigation, callers can ask for Redding Police Corporal Rob Peterson and refer to incident file number 18R082435. All tips can be made anonymously.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor 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, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with 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, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.