Photo: Reina Vanderbrake
LASSEN – One would not normally expect their Uber driver to turn around and rob them. Such was the case with two Lassen county residents, one an Uber driver, on May 21.
The victim lives in Reno and contracted the driver to take him to the Grand Sierra Resort. Upon his return he discovered that someone burglarized his home and took some items, including an iPad.
The burglar entered the home through a doggy door.
Reina, the Uber driver, did not know that the iPad’s tracking device was on. Authorities traced it to a residence in Herlong.
The victim also mentioned a white Tahoe as his Uber ride. When law enforcement got a search warrant, they saw a white Tahoe sporting an Uber sticker at the Herlong location.
Inside they met 37-year-old Reina Vanderbrake and 32-year-old Carlos Olivarria. They also recovered the stolen items. They did not recover a stolen diamond ring.
The report states that one of the suspects confessed to the crime, but did not identify which one.
Both face charges of felony possession of stolen property with bail at $20,000 each.
Finally, and understandably, Uber says that Vanderbrake “no longer has access to the Uber app.”