Stolen Car Suspect Out of San Jose Arrested in Santa Maria

A San Jose man was arrested in Santa Maria Monday morning and is now facing stolen vehicle and burglary charges.

Santa Maria Police officers were alerted to a vehicle burglary in progress at about 6:49 a.m. in the 900 block of E. Stowell Road. When officers arrived on scene they identified 36-year-old Scott Nelson Powell as the suspect, and took him into custody for vehicle burglary and for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

About two hours later, police located an abandoned vehicle, which was discovered to have been stolen out of San Jose earlier in the day, in the parking lot of a business located in the 1000 block of E. Stowell Road.

Authorities gathered enough evidence to charge Powell with the stolen car. He is also charged with vehicle burglary and being under the influence of a controlled substance.