Ventura police arrest two in separate stolen vehicle incidents Saturday

VENTURA, Calif. - Ventura police arrested two men on Saturday during separate stolen vehicle incidents that occurred within an hour of each other.

The first incident happened at 7:54 a.m. Officers located the stolen vehicle in a Lowes parking lot on South Mills Road.

Police determined it had been stolen out of Santa Barbara County on Dec. 24. They then approached a 37-year-old Santa Barbara man who was sitting inside the vehicle and arrested him at the scene without incident.

The Santa Barbara man faces charges for possession of a stolen vehicle, drug paraphernalia and graffiti tools.

The second incident occurred around 8:51 a.m. the same morning.

Police responded to the area of Schooner Drive and Harbor Boulevard after receiving reports of a stolen vehicle. While on their way, officers said they spotted the vehicle at the Sinclair Gas on Harbor Blvd.

Police attempted to pull over the vehicle when the passenger fled the car on foot southbound on Monmouth Drive.

The driver of the car, a 59-year-old transient, stayed and was arrested at the scene without incident. He faces charges for unlawfully taking a vehicle.

Police said the car was reportedly stolen out of Los Angeles on Dec. 25.