Hollister Police: Man didn’t know vehicle had been stolen until suspect crashed it
Photos: Hollister Police Department
A Hollister man was arrested after reportedly getting into a collision in a vehicle that turned out to be stolen, police said.
On the morning of February 5th, California Highway Patrol contacted an individual to alert them that their stolen vehicle had been involved in a collision. It turned out the theft had never been reported in the first place because the owner wasn’t aware that the car had been stolen.
Local police responded and learned that the suspect in the collision, identified as 20-year-old Santiago Cavazos, had already been arrested and booked on newly discovered but unrelated offenses. By the time police went to meet with him, however, he’d posted bail and been released.
Later that day, an officer pulled Cavazos over in the area of Sally and Hawkins Streets. Cavazos, who by this time was wanted in connection to the stolen vehicle, was reportedly found to be in possession of a large amount of marijuana, concentrated cannabis wax, psychedelic mushrooms, alprazolam (generic Xanax) pills, narcotics packaging material, and a scale.
Cavazos was arrested and booked on suspicion of multiple felonies related to these discoveries.
About two weeks later, on February 18th, authorities served a search warrant at Cavazos’ residence, where they discovered a tool used for the manufacturing of illegal firearms and further evidence of unlawful marijuana sales.