Full Notification

On 12-04-2017, at approximately 0721 hours, an Officer from the Anderson Police Department (APD) responded to the 3200 block of Briarwood Drive in Anderson for a report of a vehicle that was stolen sometime during the night. The victim described the stolen vehicle as a blue 1991 Honda sedan and provided the license plate information. After the Officer took the criminal report, the victim had placed a photo of the Honda on Facebook to inform his friends the vehicle had been stolen.

At approximately 0819 hours (about 1 hour later), one of the victim’s friends observed the stolen Honda in a parking lot near the intersection of Balls Ferry Road and Shady Lane. The friend called the victim and confirmed that it was in fact the stolen vehicle.

The stolen Honda left the parking lot and drove west bound on Balls Ferry Road as the friend followed behind it. The stolen Honda then turned onto north bound McMurry Drive. The friend had called the registered owner/victim of the stolen Honda who quickly responded to the area to look for his stolen vehicle.

The victim observed his stolen Honda as it turned north bound on North Street. The suspect driving the stolen Honda later identified as Aaron William Ashby, 29 of Anderson, attempted to get away from the victim who was following behind him. Ashby drove the stolen vehicle to the end of Flagstone Court where it collided with a concrete curb and attempted to leave the area on foot to avoid apprehension; but the victim had other plans.

Words were exchanged between Ashby and the victim, but Ashby would not wait for Police to arrive. The victim tackled Ashby as he was trying to get away in an effort to affect a citizen’s arrest and hold him for Police. A fight occurred, and Ashby was quickly subdued by the victim and the victim’s friends.

APD Officer’s arrived and handcuffed Ashby. Ashby was found to be on CDC Parole for a robbery charge. Ashby was later transported to the Shasta County Jail where he was booked on charges of felony vehicle theft (10851 CVC), felony possession of a stolen vehicle (496d(a) PC), felony threatening or intimidating a victim/witness of a crime (136.1 PC), misdemeanor threatening to fight in public (415 PC), and a violation of his parole (3056 PC).

The Anderson Police Department would like to thank the citizen’s that helped with locating and capturing Ashby. However, it is generally safer for citizens to contact police prior to engaging criminals.