Two Arrested in Visalia Following Stolen Vehicle Recovery and Surveillance
VISALIA, CA – At approximately 7:51 p.m., patrol officers with the Visalia Police Department responded to the 1200 block of South Central Street regarding a report of a stolen Toyota Corolla. The vehicle’s owners reported that the car was taken from the street roughly 20 minutes after they had parked it outside their residence.
At approximately 8:30 p.m., officers located the missing vehicle parked and unoccupied in a parking lot in the 800 block of West Murray Street. Members of the Tulare Regional Auto Theft Task Force were notified and joined the investigation to conduct surveillance on the vehicle.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. the following morning, a patrol officer observed the stolen vehicle being driven near the intersection of Court Street and Walnut Street. Officers, with assistance from task force detectives, initiated a traffic stop and took two occupants into custody without incident.
The driver was identified as 37-year-old Michelle Hall, and the passenger was identified as 39-year-old Jeffery Downing. Officers determined that Downing was currently on active state parole for a homicide conviction and was out on bail for a separate matter at the time of the stop.
Downing was booked into the county jail on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, vehicle theft, conspiracy, committing a felony while on bail, and a parole violation. Hall was booked on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, vehicle theft, and conspiracy. Additionally, investigators identified Hall as the suspect in a separate vehicle tampering incident reported earlier that night in a parking lot on the 300 block of South Locust Street, adding a charge of vehicle tampering to her booking.
