Anderson vehicle burglary leads to Cottonwood search, Redding man’s arrest

ANDERSON, Calif., — Authorities in Anderson made quick work of solving a vehicle burglary and theft of a handgun and other property that occurred at a local Walmart Tuesday morning, Nov. 2. A felon on Post Community Release Supervision (PRCS) probation was arrested in connection with the incident, according to officials, who say they also recovered the handgun and other property stolen during the theft.

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Tuesday’s burglary and theft investigation began around 10 a.m. when City of Anderson police officers were dispatched to a report of a legally owned and registered firearm and other property that were stolen from inside a locked vehicle while it was parked at the Anderson Walmart, APD has since reported.

The burglary and theft occurred while the victim was shopping inside the business and the victim had not witnessed the incident and was not able to provide any suspect information.

While searching a Cottonwood home during an Anderson vehicle burglary and weapon theft investigation, officers discovered a plethora of burglary tools, stolen ID’s, drug paraphernalia and other items, including the stolen handgun and other property taken during the burglary. Anderson PD photos

Officers checked the Walmart surveillance cameras and were able to identify a possible suspect vehicle, described as a burgundy Dodge Dakota pickup truck, associated with a male suspect seen breaking into and rummaging through the victim’s vehicle. From the surveillance footage, officers were also able to identify the vehicle’s license plate.

Shortly after the initial burglary report was taken, an APD officer assigned to the city’s Traffic Unit was conducting traffic safety enforcement when he spotted the suspect’s vehicle being driven in the area of Alexander Avenue.

After stopping the Dodge, officers made contact with the driver, and identified him as Nicholas Donald Nolan, 33, of Redding. He was found to be the registered owner of the Dodge and officers also learned he was PRCS probation, with active search terms.

Although officials located some of the personal property stolen from the victim while searching the pickup truck, they were not immediately able to locate the stolen handgun. However, during further investigation officers learned the handgun was possibly located at a private residence in neighboring Cottonwood.

Based on the new information, local officers teamed up with Shasta County Probation officers and Shasta County sheriff’s deputies and went to the Cottonwood home, where the stolen firearm was discovered and recovered.

Officials also discovered multiple stolen ID’s from victims throughout Shasta County, drug paraphernalia, burglary tools and more, leading to numerous additional charges.

Nolan was arrested and later booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of various property-related charges including burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of ten or more personal ID’s with intent to defraud, possession of drug-related paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, grand theft of a firearm, driving on a suspended license, unlawful possession of tear gas and violation of PRCS probation.

“From the time of the report, the Anderson Police Department was able to recover the victim’s property and firearm within eight hours,” APD has said of the swift arrest and recovery of stolen property.

“We would like to thank our allied agencies for assisting us and making that possible,” they continued.

Online jail records show Nolan remains in custody and is being held in lieu of $10,000 bail or bond.



Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

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 30 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 18 grandchildren.