K-9 sniffs out suspect after Anderson burglary leads to chase, hit and run crash

ANDERSON, Calif., — Authorities say reports of a suspicious vehicle seen inside a fenced Anderson business led to a vehicle pursuit and hit and run crash early Sunday morning, Dec. 5. A sheriff’s K-9 was later instrumental in tracking down one of the alleged suspects after the man fled the scene of a crash involving a power pole that was knocked down.

Officials later determined that the business where the incident began, PAR Electric, located at 4645 Locust Road, had been burglarized of approximately $16,000 worth of copper wire and miscellaneous tools, but all of the stolen property was recovered and later returned to the business.

LEADING THE SCNS HEADLINES:

UPDATE: Work to recover human remains found at future Redding Costco site to continue today

Just released from prison, Redding sex offender re-arrested – and then released – within hours

Oregon men identified after bodies found in Oak Run – Double murder investigation continuing

Near collision on icy highway leaves truck dangling from Lake Britton Bridge

Anderson Walmart theft leads to local man’s arrest

Shasta County sheriff deputies were dispatched to the closed business around 2:30 a.m. after receiving the report of a U-Haul rental truck seen inside the property without authorization, Shasta County Sheriff’s Sergeant Garet Baldwin has since said of the incident and arrest.

When the first deputy arrived in the area, he observed a 22-foot U-Haul box truck parked inside the fenced yard and observed the rented truck begin to drive away with its lights off. However, due to heavy early morning fog and the suspect turning off the truck’s lights as he drove away, the deputy soon lost sight of the vehicle.

Deputies notified Anderson Police Department and California Highway Patrol officers regarding the circumstances of the burglary and requested officials to be on the lookout for the U-Haul truck.

With his nose leading the way, Shasta County Sheriff’s K-9 Garin was quickly able to sniff out one of two suspects believed to have burglarized a closed Anderson business early Sunday morning. Friends of Shasta County K9/Facebook photo

While searching for the vehicle, a deputy spotted it being driven eastbound on Kimberly Road at a high rate of speed. While the deputy was attempting to catch up with and stop the truck the fleeing driver suddenly plowed into a PG&E power pole.

The impact sheared the pole at its base and caused parts of the damaged pole and live power wires to come down in the roadway, blocking the deputy from safely continuing.

With the chase discontinued, a few minutes later SHASCOM emergency dispatchers received a 911 call from a resident on Kimberly Road who reported finding a heavily damaged U-Haul vehicle parked with its engine running outside their home.

Deputies responded to the residence and located the U-Haul with severe damage to the front of the vehicle; and found it unoccupied according to Baldwin; who said deputies also discovered a large amount of stolen copper wire and miscellaneous power tools in the cargo box of the rented truck.

Shasta County Sheriff’s K-9 “Garin” was soon deployed and began tracking the scent of the suspects that were seen driving the U-Haul truck.

With his nose leading the way, the police service dog quickly guided deputies approximately a quarter-mile down Kimberly Road to a large blackberry bush, where he sniffed out an adult male hiding inside the large thorn-ridden bush.

The man, later identified as Timothy Morgan Wagner, 35, of Red Bluff, was taken into custody but refused to provide a statement to deputies, according to Baldwin.

Deputies believe one other suspect may have been involved in the incident, but they were not able to locate that person during their search.

Deputies eventually returned to the burglarized business and met with an employee who told them the suspects had cut the lock to the entrance gate of the property, before cutting the locks to two large metal storage boxes. They then removed a large amount of copper wire and numerous power tools.

Valued at around $16,000, the recovered stolen property was later returned to the business.

Based on their investigation, deputies arrested Wagner, who was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine. He was later booked into the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of two counts of burglary, grand theft of copper wire, and possession of a controlled substance.

Online jail records indicate he remains in custody, where he is being held in lieu of $10,000 bail or bond.

Anyone with additional information about this investigation, or who knows the identity and/or whereabouts of the other involved suspect, is urged to call SHASCOM at (530) 245-6540. Callers can refer to incident file number 21S039053 and can remain anonymous.

---

---

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.